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/ 
R. F. & H. L. DOHERTY 



ON 



LAWN TENNIS 



NEW YORK: THE BAKER & TAYLOR COMPANY 

33-37 EAST SEVENTEENTH STREET, UNION SQUARE, NORTH 



THE LIBRARY OF 
CONGRESS, 

Two Copies f,eceivoc 

AUG 13 T90S 

\ C»pyngnt Entry 

ius® oc xxc. no 

4 ^ e> rf 

COPY B. 



.D65 



Copyright, 1903, 

BY 

THE BAKER & TAYLOR COMPANY. 
Entered at Stationers 1 Hall, London. 



Published August, 190S. 



AMERICAN PRINTING HOUSE, 
318-320 E. 23d Street. 



THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED TO 




HER IMPERIAL HIGHNESS 
THE GRAND DUCHESS ANASTASIE 

OF MECKLENBURG-SCHWER1N, 

WHO HAS DONE SO MUCH TO PROMOTE 
THE GAME ABROAD 






PREFACE. 

Our object in writing this book has been to give 
beginners a brief and simple and pictorial guide 
to improvement at our favourite game, so that 
they may enjoy it far more than they do now. 
For we believe the commonest mistakes of the 
average player to be so large and yet so few that 
when once he is told what they are he will be able 
to correct them quite easily and add wonderfully 
to his success. At present he is not giving him- 
self a fair chance if he is holding his racket 
wrongly, stopping his stroke sharply instead of 
following it through, and so on. 

The illustrations (take, for instance, those 
which illustrate the racket being held and the 
stroke being followed through) are meant 
to show beginners what we do, not be- 
cause it is quite certainly best for all, 

ix 



x PREFACE. 

but because it may very probably be good 
for many. That is the spirit in which 
we offer these pages, trying to give hints, 
as full and clear as we can make them, as hints 
and suggestions, not as rules and laws. In fact, 
we have included a number of different features 
from the play of many experts in America as 
well as in England, after our delightful visit to 
the States. 

But, though English and American players 
vary in style from one another and among them- 
selves, yet constant play against all sorts of 
opponents in all sorts of places under all condi- 
tions^ — on courts of grass, wood, gravel, sand, 
asphalte, concrete ; in weather dull, rainy, bright, 
burning — has made us sure that there are some 
instructions which can have very few exceptions. 
On these general principles we have laid great 
stress, and in order to impress them upon the 
reader we have purposely left out a great deal 
about the history of the game, &c. 

Among the instructions for all ordinary play 
are the following. Concentrate your whole mind 
on the game and never slack off; get ready and 



PREFACE. xi 

in position in good time before you have to 
make your stroke ; when once your opponent has 
made his stroke, keep your eye on the ball up to 
the last possible fraction of a second (this is 
especially hard if he has run up to the net, in 
which case you must simply forget that he is 
there) ; put weight into the stroke (this means 
partly the turn of the body on the hips, and partly 
the shoulder-movement, as well as the wrist over- 
turn) ; follow through; after the stroke, recover 
the balance of the body and the place in the 
court as quickly as you can. In service, begin 
with the right shoulder back and down, and the 
head back, and throw the ball high. In Singles, 
play against many different opponents, and prac- 
tise your weak points except during matches. In 
Doubles, remember which balls you should be re- 
sponsible for ; keep or get parallel with your part- 
ner, as a rule; and keep or get your regular dis- 
tance from him. These are the points on which 
we have ventured to insist with some conviction. 
We do not believe that the Lawn Tennis public 
is inclined to enter deeply into elaborate theories 
as to the strokes and tactics ; we have described 



xii PREFACE. 

all that the Lawn Tennis public is likely to re- 
quire and to use for ordinary purposes. If we 
have omitted anything, this is not because we 
want to keep it back: we have told all our "se- 
crets," and some of them seem to us almost too 
obvious to need mention ; but we have been often 
assured that players do really want to know 
just these very things. If there are other things 
on which information is needed, we shall be 
grateful to hear of them, so that we may explain 
them to the best of our ability in case a. second 
edition of the book is called for. For fresh in- 
formation up to date we may safely refer readers 
to the paper "Lawn Tennis," the official organ of 
the Lawn Tennis Association. 

We take the opportunity of thanking those 
who have helped us in the preparation of the 
work. R. F. & H. L. DOHERTY. 

4 Albert Hall Mansions, London, S. W. 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER PAGE 

I. THE STEOKES . . . ' . . . .17 

II. SINGLES 70 

. III. DOUBLES AND MIXED DOUBLES: 

I. DOUBLES 82 

II. MIXED DOUBLES 94 

IV. HINTS ON PRACTICE, TRAINING, AND 

MATCH PLAY: 

I. PRACTICE AND TRAINING . . .102 
II. MATCH PLAY . ., . . .105 

V. BRIEF NOTES FOR BEGINNERS, WITH A 

LIST OF COMMON FAULTS . . .108 

VI. OUR IMPRESSIONS OF PLAY AND PLAYERS 

IN AMERICA . . . . . .116 

VII. LADIES' PLAY (BY MISS TOUPIE LOW- 

THER) 132 

VIII. SOME HINTS ON THE CONSTRUCTION AND 
CARE OF GRASS COURTS (BY MR. GEO. 
W. HILLYARD) 141 

IX. HOW LAWN TENNIS COMPARES WITH 
SOME OTHER GAMES (BY EUSTACE 
MILES 151 



xiv CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER PAGE 

X. LISTS OF CHAMPIONS, RULES AND REGU- 
LATIONS, ETC.: 

I. COVERED COURT CHAMPIONSHIPS . 157 

OXFORD v. CAMBRIDGE . . . .161 

II. LIST OF CHAMPIONS . . . .164 

HOW TO MARK OUT A COURT (WITH 
DIAGRAM) . 184 

REGULATIONS FOR THE INTERNATIONAL 
LAWN TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP . . 187 

REGULATIONS FOR THE MANAGEMENT 
OF LAWN TENNIS PRIZE-MEETINGS . 194 

RECOMMENDATIONS . . . . . 215 

LAWS OF THE GAME (WITH PLANS OF 
COURTS) 217 

KNOTTY POINTS 232 



ILLUSTRATIONS. 

NO. 

K. F. & H. L. DOHERTY . . ' . . Frontispiece 

HER IMPERIAL HIGHNESS THE GRAND page 
DUCHESS ANASTASIE OF MECKLENBURG- 
SCHWERIN . . . vii 

1. GRIP FOR FOREHAND 19 

2. GRIP FOR BACKHAND . . . . .23 

3. SERVING: THE BALL HAS JUST BEEN 

THROWN UP .27 

4. FINISH OF SERVICE 31 

5. THE START OF AN AMERICAN SERVICE, AS 

WARD DOES IT 35 

6. HALF-WAY THROUGH THE AMERICAN SERV- 

ICE 39 

7. WHERE THE RACKET COMES AT THE FINISH 

OF THE AMERICAN SERVICE ... 43 

8. THE BEGINNING OF THE AMERICAN "RE- 

VERSE" SERVICE 47 

9. HALF-WAY THROUGH THE AMERICAN "RE- 

VERSE" SERVICE 51 

10. THE RACKET AT THE BEGINNING OF THE 

SWING, AS ONE WAITS FOR A SMASH . .55 

11. BEFORE SMASHING A BALL .... 59 

12. POSITION OF THE FEET FOR A FOREHAND 

DRIVE 63 

13. THE SWING BACK FOR A FOREHAND DRIVE 67 



xvi ILLUSTRATIONS. 

NO. PAGE 

14. STEPPING INTO THE BACKHAND POSITION . 71 

15. POSITION OF THE FEET FOR A BACKHAND 

DRIVE 75 

16. BACKHAND DRIVE, TOP HAVING BEEN PUT 

ON THE BALL 79 

17. FINISH OF BACKHAND DRIVE .... 85 

18. THE FINISH OF A BACKHAND DRIVE ACROSS 

THE COURT 91 

19. POSITION AS ONE WAITS FOR A VOLLEY AT 

THE NET 97 

20. LOW FOREHAND VOLLEY ..... 103 

21. LOW BACKHAND VOLLEY . . . .109 

22. W. A. EARNED, CHAMPION OF THE UNITED 

STATES 1901, 1902 117 

23. M. D. WHITMAN, CHAMPION OF THE UNITED 

STATES 1898, 1899, 1900 . . . .121 

24. D. F. DAVIS AND H. WARD, THE AMERICAN 

TEAM THAT PLAYED AGAINST ENGLAND 

IN DOUBLES, 1900 127 

25. ROBERT D. WRENN 129 

26. CENTRE COURT AT WIMBLEDON WHERE THE 

ALL-ENGLAND MATCHES ARE PLAYED . 143 

27. THE CHAMPIONSHIP COURT AT NEWPORT, 

WHERE THE UNITED STATES MATCHES 
ARE PLAYED . . . . . . .149 

DIAGRAMS IN THE TEXT 
HOW TO MARK OUT A COURT . . . .184 
PLAN OF COURTS 231 



R. F. & H. L. DOHERTY 

ON 

LAWN TENNIS 



R. F. & H. L. DOHERTY 

ON 



CHAPTER I. 

THE STROKES. 

In this chapter and all through the hook we 
wish to describe what we find it best to do (or 
attempt to do) in Lawn Tennis rather than what 
everyone should do. Each player should find 
out for himself his best positions and strokes; 
they may be like ours, or they may not. When 
he has found them, he should practise them and 
try to come as near to them as he can in actual 
play. He will not always have time to get the 
very best during a quick game; in that case he 
must be content with something as like it as 
possible. Even the most successful players are 
taken unawares now and then, and must just 
use whatever device is ready to hand. 

17 



18 LAWN TENNIS. 



The Grip and Position of the Racket. 

The grip of the racket is a most important 
matter. It need not necessarily be the same as 
ours, but we offer ours for what they are worth. 
Very nearly every first-class player has almost 
the same grip as ours. Little description is 
needed if the reader studies the illustrations 
carefully. 

Should one change one's grip for the fore- 
hand and backhand strokes? Many players do so, 
even if they are not aware of it; probably all 
American players do. Of ourselves E. F. changes 
his grip less than H. L., because he grips slightly 
differently. There is no doubt that it is better to 
change the grip a little at Lawn Tennis. Both 
Renshaws did; so do Pirn, Ohayton, Mahony, 
Meers, Hillyard, Riseley, &c. We might, how- 
ever, say that at the beginning the less change 
the better, so that the learner may not have too 
many things to attend to. The Baddeleys never 
changed their grip at all, and it seems to have 
been partly owing to this that their backhand 




No. 1— GRIP FOR FOREHAND. 



THE STROKES. 21 

strokes were their weakest. The best grip for a 
forehand stroke cannot well be exactly the best 
grip for a backhand stroke also. 

Anyhow, the handle should be held firmly. 
Most people find a big handle easier to grip than 
a small one. The fingers should be spread out, 
though for a backhand grip they may be some- 
what closer. Ought the thumb to be used to sup- 
port the racket during a backhand stroke? 
Burke, Pim, Eaves, and nearly all the good play- 
ers use the thumb in this way, keeping it not 
straight up the handle but rather across the 
handle. For a backhand smash, however, the 
thumb should always be up the handle. 

We keep the head of the racket above the 
wrist whenever we can, and always on the vol- 
ley; and we also keep the hand back — that is to 
say, bent back (toward the shoulder) at the 
wrist — so that the ball may not go outside the 
side-lines. 

Between the strokes we think it best to support 
the racket by resting the splice upon the left 
hand. This is the common habit of Americans 
and nearly all good players, and helps consider- 



22 LAWN TENNIS. 

ably, especially when there is to be a quick volley 
at the net. 

While Waiting. 

The grip of the racket should be firm but not 
tight. Of the position of the racket (which nearly 
every player supports with his left hand) we 
have just spoken. The right waiting-position 
here, as at Cricket, is the position from which one 
can most easily and quickly pass into the right 
position for one or another stroke. But there is 
this difference between Lawn Tennis and Cricket 
or Racquets or Tennis. In these games one runs 
forward or backward in the sideways position — 
that is, in the position in which one will make 
the strokes. In Lawn Tennis one seldom has time 
to do this : the distance to be covered is too great. 
One must be content to run backwards and for- 
wards in the ordinary way, and then to form the 
position. It is important to be able to run back 
well, especially for lobs ; and to recover quickly 
so as to have one's balance, and to be able to use 
one's body-weight and power. Many players 




No. 2.-GRIP FOR BACKHAND. 



THE STROKES. 25 

after they have made their stroke stand still 
until the ball is already returned, and then they 
rush at it. It is far better not to wait but to an- 
ticipate, and to be already in the right place in 
good time ; then one can wait quietly. 

The Ordinary Stroke. 

What should be the right distance of the ball 
from the ground and from one's bat when one 
takes it? As to the height at which one can drive 
a ball well from the back of the court, it should 
certainly be above the knee, and H. L. prefers it 
to be above the waist. We both think it best to 
drive the ball at the top of the bound or a little 
later. R. F. thinks that one should take the ball 
as high as one can, yet not so high that one can- 
not get well over it, in order to put top on the 
ball. To get over the ball enables one to hit 
it harder and to keep it in. Lewis's backhand 
stroke, which was one of the best and most severe 
ever seen, got well over the ball ; although a con- 
siderable pace can be put on when it is allowed 
nearly to fall, as at Racquets. Hobart makes his 



26 LAWN TENNIS. 

strokes in this way. Few players can rely upon 
hitting a rising ball accurately; W. Eenshaw 
could, and so can Caridia, but the ground must 
be especially good. 

As to the distance of the ball from the player, 
it is a good general rule to keep away from the 
ball. 

Another good piece of advice is to meet the ball 
squarely, to meet it and not to let it meet you — 
that is to say. to attack and not merely to stop. 

Then there is the rule to follow through with 
the racket towards the spot to which one wants 
to hit the ball. 

But most important of all is the rule to keep 
one's eye on the ball altogether if one can. The 
hardest occasion is when one's opponent is run- 
ning up to the net. One must simply forget him 
altogether, as Smith does. In returning the 
service this rule is of the greatest importance, 
and especially in returning the American service. 
One may have a dim idea where one's opponent 
is, but the eye must be glued upon the ball. 

The next question is how to add pace. Some 
players take a step forward in some of their 




No. 3.-SERVING: THE BALL HAS JUST BEEN THROWN UP. 



THE STROKES. 29 

strokes. The best means, however, of adding pace 
is to use the body-swing, and follow through 
with the racket. People often imagine that pace 
is given by the wrist ; but Smith's forehand drive, 
which is one of the fastest strokes we know, is 
given when the wrist is firm as a vise. Yet the 
wrist and the forearm can play a part in adding 
pace ; they can and should help to give that top at 
the last moment, bringing the racket above the 
ball, and lending the ball a spin, the reverse of the 
cut at real Tennis. Besides this, there is some 
movement of the shoulder. 

Pace, however, depends largely, as in Cricket, 
upon the correct timing of the ball. 

Service. 

You should serve the ball, as a rule, not into 
the middle of the opponent's court, but to either 
side; generally it is better to serve to his back- 
hand, for place is important as well as pace. 

The hardest hit service is not always the best. 
Too great pace and severity in the first service is 
a common fault of beginners. Besides the fact 



3 o LAWN TENNIS. 

that it involves very much risk, there is this, that 
a slowly hit service gives the server time to get 
up to the net. This is of the greatest importance 
in a Double. In a Single, also, to-day it is usual 
to run in on a service, especially in America, 
partly owing to thie fact that umpires do not call 
the foot-faults. The pace of your service should 
depend largely on whether you mean to run in 
on it or not. The general rule is to use the great- 
est pace which you can combine with the smallest 
number of faults. But too great a pace will take 
it out of you for the rally and the whole game. 
Besides this, you should vary your pace as a 
cricketer varies the pace of his bowling. After a 
number of hard services a slower one will be ef- 
fective. The unexpected is valuable. Another 
variety, an unexpected variety, is to send the 
second service as hard as the first service. Your 
opponent generally advances a yard or so nearer 
to the net if your first is a fault, anticipating a 
slow second serve. It should be easy to send 
the second serve fast, because you ought to re- 
member the mistake which you made in the first 
and correct it. 




No. 4— FINISH OF SERVICE. 



THE STROKES. 33 

Occasionally it may pay to send an underhand 
service. E. Renshaw once beat Lawford entirely 
through changing his overhead service to an 
underhand twist, and in a recent match on an 
American covered court Paret found a hard over- 
hand service quite ineffective against Grant. By 
adopting a soft underhand service, however, he 
won the match. 

Besides varying the pace one should also vary 
the place to which one serves. You must decide 
where to send the service, and perhaps keep that 
spot in your mind's eye. But then, when you 
have once thrown the ball up, you must not take 
the eye off it. In this, Lawn Tennis resembles 
Golf, only that in Lawn Tennis the player does 
not have the ball lying ready for him ; he has to 
throw it up correctly with his left hand. One 
main reason why players serve so badly is that 
they take their eye off the ball. 

Another reason is that they throw the ball up 
too much in front of them. The effect of this is 
that they hit it when it is too low, or else perhaps 
their body is wrongly posed, or wrongly used, or 
not used enough. 



34 LAWN TENNIS. 

The body should not face the net, but should 
rather be at right angles to the net, so that it may 
get more power. For additional power the trunk 
should be bent far back, and the right shoulder 
should be well down. The whole art is to make 
the body work with the arms, and to direct the 
swing properly so as to get the full pace at the 
right moment. 

When you are in the right position — that is to 
say, with the body at right angles to the net — 
bend well back from the hips, and, with the right 
shoulder well down, throw the ball straight up 
above the head and slightly above the right shoul- 
der rather than the left, and somewhat behind 
rather than in front, so that you do not lose 
power. The eye must be kept steadily on the ball, 
and the ball must be hit directly it comes within 
reach. The higher you hit the ball the easier it is 
to keep it within the court. The racket should 
follow through and just miss the left knee. Some 
players occasionally hit their left knee with their 
racket, which is a good sign, but unpleasant. The 
position after the service is seen in illustration 
. No. 4. 




No. 5.— THE START OF AN AMERICAN SERVICE, AS WARD DOES IT. 



THE STROKES. 3? 

Of course this position should not be kept. 
The balance should be recovered, especially if one 
is going to run in on the service. When you run 
in, you must not sprint too hard, because thus 
you may be taken off your balance, or else sur- 
prised by a lob. Yet, on the other hand, it does 
not do to run in and get no further than the 
service-line. The service-line, or rather just be- 
hind it, is one of the worst places at which to take 
a return. If the return is a very good lob that 
you can only just reach, then do not try to kill it 
at once, but send it back with a good-length 
stroke at a, fair pace. A lob or an easy ball will 
come back : then you can smash to the one side 
or the other, or now and then down the middle. 

Notes on the American Service. 

The great number of players have not under- 
stood the chief advantage of the American serv- 
ice. For them it consists in the spin and the 
curious way in which the ball comes off the 
ground. This, of course, is puzzling at first, but 
one soon gets used to it. The chief advantage of 
the service is that it enables the server to get in 



38 LAWN TENNIS. 

close to the net. The service of Whitman and 
Clothier drags considerably in the air and off the 
ground. The server gets up to the net sooner. 
Besides this, one has to return the service later— 
that is to say, when it is nearer the end of its 
flight — because of the spin on the ball. This same 
spin makes the placing of the ball less safe. 

It is a question, however, to what extent this 
service spoils not only the game in general, but 
also the ordinary stroke of the man who has 
served it. The effects of the similar service in 
real Tennis have been to spoil the stroke not only 
of the opponent, but also of the server himself. 
After serving in this way it is almost impossible 
to recover the correct cut-stroke immediately. 

The illustrations Nos. 5, 6, and 7 will best show 
the method of serving. One of them (No. 5) 
gives us the racket starting from behind the left 
shoulder and ending up beyond the right shoul- 
der ; going, in fact, right across. The ball travels 
on the racket itself from the wood at one side 
right to the wood at the other side. There is no 
service or stroke in which the ball touches so 
much of the gut of the racket. 




No. 6.-HALF-WAY THROUGH THE AMERICAN SERVICE. 



THE STROKES. 41 



The Smash. 

To smash well from any part of the court (and 
there is no reason why anyone who can hit the 
ball overhead at all should not be able to do this ) , 
one must know in what part of the court one is 
while taking the ball, and especially how far from 
the net. This is most important, as, the further 
one is away from the net, the higher one must 
hit the ball; one cannot hit the ball down so 
much, or it will go into the net. One must know 
how far one is to the right or left of the court, in 
order to be able to tell how much room one has to 
the left or right in which to place the ball. Good 
length is important when one is smashing, except 
when one gets a very short weak lob to kill ; this 
one can hit very hard on to the ground, so that 
it bounds over the opponent's head. 

The smash is very like the service, except that 
it is not from a defined position deliberately 
chosen. The player must be good on his feet, and 
especially good at running back. Instead of tak- 



42 LAWN TENNIS. 

ing up his position carefully and throwing the 
ball precisely where he wants it to be, he has to 
take up his position quickly and be content with 
the ball which is hit to him. 

He should not run back with his racket up in 
the air, though a few players, like Mahony, can 
do this and yet keep their poise. It is better (as 
in illustration No. 10) to keep the head of the 
racket down when he is running and moving, and 
not to start to swing till he is in position. Cer- 
tainly he should never take his eye off the ball 
when he is smashing; that is the reason why so 
many smashes are missed. 

The body should be not facing the net, but 
nearly sideways, and its weight and force should 
be used. At the beginning of the stroke, as in the 
service, the right shoulder should be down and 
the body and shoulder bent back. The head also 
should be thrown back. The racket must be 
swung well round behind the back. The weight 
of the body when one is taking the ball is first on 
the right foot and then is changed to the left, but 
sometimes the feet are in the air at the moment 
of striking. The stroke itself is rather like the 




No. 7.— WHERE THE RACKET COMES AT THE FINISH OF THE 
AMERICAN SERVICE. 



THE STROKES. 45 

action of throwing, except that the arm must not 
be allowed to go far from the ear, and the racket 
follows through and down very much as in the 
service. 

To be good overhead is the sign of a first-class 
player, even if a few have managed to get on 
without it. Gore rarely comes to the net, so 
rarely takes overhead balls. The aim should be 
certainty rather than severity, though the Amer- 
ican aim is severity rather than certainty. We 
should advise most players not always to try to 
kill very good lobs, but to secure a good length 
and fair pace, and wait till the ball can be killed 
finally down one side or the other, or across, or 
now and then down the middle. Good length 
is a great requisite in killing. It does not pay 
always to smash to the same side. But in placing 
the ball, let us repeat, the eye must not be taken 
off even for the hundredth part of a second; 
it is by taking the eye off the ball to look at the 
place at which they are aiming, or to look where 
their opponents are, that nine out of ten players 
fail to smash well. 



46 LAWN TENNIS. 



The Backhand Smash. 

In this stroke the thumb is made to go up 
along the handle in order to give power behind 
the stroke; but even with this support the back- 
hand smash should only be played when the fore- 
hand smash is impossible, since it is one of the 
hardest strokes to do really well. Mahony does 
it to perfection. It is, of course, easiest to make 
across the court to one's opponent's backhand; 
sometimes, however, it should be made down the 
line. 

The body faces sideways, as for the backhand 
stroke, and the weight of the body at the begin- 
ning of the stroke is on the left leg, whence it 
passes on to the right leg. The racket follows 
through as in the ordinary stroke. 

The Forehand Stroke. 

Although there will be times when one has 
come out of position, yet one should try to get as 
near to one's best stroke as possible; and one of 
the chief things to aim at is not to come too near 




N0.8.-THE BEGINNING OF THE AMERICAN "REVERSE" SERVICE. 



THE STROKES. 49 

to the ball. First of all, one must not get too 
directly in its line, but should be rather to the 
left side of the line. Then, unless one is going to 
volley, one should be well behind the ball. It is 
better to have to run forwards (for this will add 
pace to the stroke) than either to run back, which 
will lose pace, or else to hit a rising ball, which 
will be risky. 

There are two kinds of drives. The first is the 
drive when the ball is at the top of its bound, or 
just a little later. For this the head of the racket 
is up higher than the wrist. Then there is the 
drive off the lower ball, which certainly gives one 
more time to see what the ball is going to do. 
The advantage of the first kind is that one need 
not stand so far out of the court, nor give one's 
opponent so much time to get into position, nor 
put on so much pace for oneself, nor lift the ball 
so much. It is certainly far harder to volley a 
falling ball than a rising ball. The following re- 
marks will apply to both these kinds of drives. 

Get round — that is to say, face sideways— as 
much as you can. The feet should be in the posi- 
tion shown in diagram No. 12, though this will 



50 LAWN TENNIS. 

differ according to the line in which the ball is 
approaching. The body should be facing the di- 
rection in which the ball will come; the knees 
should be slightly bent. The left leg will serve 
as the pivot. The weight of the body at the be- 
ginning of the stroke should be on the right leg, 
and should be transferred thence so that at the 
end of the stroke it is on the left leg. The left 
arm should hang loosely, and should come round 
with the body. The wrist of the right hand 
should be firm, but not stiff; the elbow should 
be a little bent. Before the stroke the racket 
should be swung well back with the right shoul- 
der, which during the stroke comes round with 
the arm and then follows the ball through, the 
head of the racket moving right away in the 
direction intended, as if it were pointing and 
saying, "That's the spot where I was aiming." 

We cannot repeat too often that you must not 
take your eye off the ball to see the spot to which 
you mean to hit the ball, or to see where your 
opponent is. First get in your mind's eye where 
he is or where you think he is; then get in your 
mind's eye where you mean to hit the ball, where 




o. 9.-HALF-WAY THROUGH THE AMERICAN "REVERSE" SERVICE. 



THE STROKES. 53 

the net is, where the lines are, allowing a slight 
margin on the safety side for the height of the 
net and for the side and back lines; then keep 
your eye on the ball, as if you were a golfer. 

The Backhand Stroke. 

Here, again, practise and acquire the best 
stroke you can, and in play come as near to it as 
you can, though sometimes you will be caught out 
of position and unready. 

The remarks already made as to the grip and 
as to the eye on the ball will apply here, and 
here also one must try to get above the ball, as 
in a forehand stroke, so that one may hit it 
harder ; but this is far more difficult than in the 
forehand stroke, since if the ball rises above a 
certain height it cannot be got over and has to 
be cut. In that case a roll may be put upon the 
ball from underneath it. Many Americans can 
do this well. 

As to the distance of the player from the ball 
that differs. Most bad players get too near to 
the ball ; most good players get well away from 



54 LAWN TENNIS. 

it, and keep their arm well away from their 
body as Mahony does. Jf, however, one exag- 
gerates this at all, there is a loss of power. E. 
F. keeps his elbow near his right side, in fact 
touching his right side. 

The position of the feet (see diagram No. 15) 
is further away from the forward-facing position 
than in the forehand stroke. The right foot is 
well forward with the weight on it, though R. F. 
sometimes makes a backhand stroke with the 
weight on his left foot. Sometimes, also, the 
drive with full body-weight lifts up both of the 
feet. 

In order to show how far one draws the racket 
back before the stroke, we sometimes notice that 
we hit our left ear as we swing the racket back. 
We also follow well through, finishing up with 
the racket high above the right shoulder, the 
weight being on the right foot. 

The Half- Volley. 

The half-volley is a pretty stroke, useful in 
emergencies, and is apt to catch the opponent 
unprepared; every now and then an expert like 




No. 10.— THE RACKET AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SWING, AS ONE 
WAITS FOR A SMASH. 



THE STROKES. 57 

Caridia uses it effectively. But safe placing is, 
as a rule, beyond the power of an ordinary 
player, nor is the half -volley itself safe unless the 
ground be true (as in the covered courts). In a 
word, it is a good stroke as an occasional friend, 
but (like many occasional friends) it is not to 
be relied on. It is to be avoided when one can 
make either a ground stroke or a full volley in- 
stead. In order to make it successfully, one 
should turn the body sideways (as for an ordi- 
nary stroke), hold the racket firmly, then bring 
its head through in an upward direction, getting 
an over-spin on the ball. The weight of the body 
should be on the right leg when the backhand 
stroke finishes, on the left leg when the forehand 
stroke finishes. 

The Volley. 

It is probable that most players when they get 
near the net alter their grip, especially in taking 
a sharp return. All, whether they hold the 
racket nearer to its face or not, hold it firm and 
put on less pace, inasmuch as the ball itself has 



58 LAWN TENNIS. 

more pace of its own already. The volley at the 
net is often a push-stroke rather than a free 
swing. 

Another characteristic of it is that it should 
be a stroke played down, and not lifted. There- 
fore the player should be near the net, and not, 
as many are, just behind the service-line, before 
the ball begins to fall, for the ball often begins 
to fall there; and he who stands there is hitting 
a falling ball — that is to say, is hitting it up to 
his opponent at the net. 

A third point is that the head of the racket 
should be kept above the level of the wrist, well 
supported. The Americans are usually weak at 
the ordinary low volley because they try to take 
it with the head of the racket below the level of 
the wrist, instead of stooping with their bodies. 
(See illustrations Nos. 20 and 21.) One must 
bend and get well down to the ball. Of course 
the handle should be held very firmly. 

In case the volley is a fairly high one, about 
the level of one's shoulder, the arm should not be 
straight, but should be bent at the elbow. For, 
if the arm is straight, the stroke will be a kind 




No. 11.— BEFORE SMASHING A BALL. 



THE STROKES. 61 

of round-arm stroke, one which cannot be placed 
with any accuracy. 

In volleying, try to get a good length and some 
pace on the ball, and do not simply pat it softly 
back. The length and pace are of importance 
both in a Single and in a Double. 

With regard to the difference between a fore- 
hand and backhand volley, although you wait in 
the same way for each of them (namely, facing 
the net, with the knees bent, as in illustra- 
tion No. 19, feet fairly wide apart so that 
you may move and bend easily, and on the 
balls of the feet, and with the racket held 
across the body), when once you know whether 
it will be a forehand or a backhand volley 
you must stand differently. For a fore- 
hand volley bring the right foot back a little 
and turn the body slightly sideways, with the 
weight on the right leg at the beginning of the 
stroke, but brought on to the left as you come 
through and bring the weight with your arm. 
For a backhand volley bring the left foot back a 
little. The grip for the forehand and backhand 
will be just as it is for ordinary ground-strokes. 



62 LAWN TENNIS. 

Otherwise the forehand and backhand volleys 
are very similar : the right position in the court 
(close to the net), the head of the racket above 
the wrist (the body stooping, if necessary), the 
arm bent, the grip firm, an attempt to get some 
pace and good length — these are the points to be 
kept in mind, except in the smash, of which we 
shall speak directly. 



The Lob- Volley. 

This is a more useful stroke in a Double than 
in a Single, especially if all four players are up 
at the net, and you can lob-volley over your op- 
ponents' heads. In that case, if you do it well, 
you generally win the point. But the stroke is a 
dangerous one, as it must go out of their reach 
or else it is a certain kill for them. For this 
stroke hold the racket firmly and with an espe- 
cially strong wrist; in fact, in this respect treat 
the stroke like an ordinary volley, but remember 
that it is better to hit the ball out than to hit it 
short. 




No. 12.— POSITION OF THE FEET FOR A FOREHAND DRIVE. 






1 



THE STROKES. 65 



The Lob. 

Excessive lobbing spoils the game, but it is not 
so easy as many imagine. The Americans have 
studied it carefully. Players like the Wrenns get 
the length to within a couple of yards, and also 
the height. Ernest Kenshaw was excellent at 
lobbing. 

There are two kinds of lobs. First, that which 
has to go just over the opponent's head so that 
he cannot quite touch it. This kind is most 
useful when he expects to be passed down the 
side. The second kind goes very high, when you 
are trying to recover position. The Americans 
lob far higher than English players. 

The low lob, only just high enough to be out of 
your opponent's reach, must fall within a yard 
or so of the base-line. It should be used only 
when the opponent is quite close to the net and 
expects you to drive the ball past him and not 
lob, or when he has run to the net for a short 
ball and cannot get back. It is a hard stroke for 
him to return by running back, as it bounces 



66 LAWN TENNIS. 

away from him, and not straight up as the high 
lob does. 

The very high lob is among the most useful 
strokes. It should fall within a yard or so of the 
base-line. It is best when you are in difficulties, 
and when you have to return a very hard service 
in a Double. It gives you time to get out of the 
difficulty, and to recover your place in the court. 
It is harder to kill by a smash, for killing is 
largely a matter of timing and, therefore, of 
nerve. The higher a ball goes, the harder it is 
to kill, because there is longer waiting and more 
chance of nervousness. Besides, the ball falls 
faster and is more difficult to time. 

In making either lob, try to hit it as close to 
the base-line as is safe. Watch the ball the whole 
time, as it is essential to strike it with the middle 
of your racket. The racket does not drive equally 
all over, and here one must hit hard in order to 
get the height. 

The lob is usually made not with a short and 
jerked stroke so much as with a back cut, which 
makes the ball rise faster at first and come down 
straighter afterwards ; but it is better not to rely 




No. 13.— THE SWING BACK FOR A FOREHAND DRIVE. 



THE STROKES. 69 

only on this back cut, but to aim also at good 
length. 

In a Single you should lob to a man's back- 
hand. If he runs round to take it forehand, 
then he is out of position. In Doubles it is often 
useful to lob down the middle, or rather to the 
left of the middle, as your opponents, unless they 
are accustomed to playing together, will not 
know which of them should take it. 



7 o LAWN TENNIS. 



CHAPTER II. 

Singles. 

Let us suppose the strokes to have been mas- 
tered, and the habit of keeping the eye on the ball 
to have been mastered also, so that you can 
forget the man already at the net or the man 
running up to the net. Now glue your mind 
on the game, and forget the score, especially if 
it is against you. Play up hard for each stroke. 

Do not, however, play to kill each ball straight 
out. A very good lob, for example, you should 
not try to kill right out of reach, but you should 
return it by a stroke with fair pace and length, 
relying on your chance of killing the ball even- 
tually. 

There are three ways of playing Singles, dif- 
fering according to your position in the court. 

The first is play from behind the base-line. In 




No. 14.— STEPPING INTO THE BACKHAND POSITION. 



SINGLES. 73 

this case, like A. W. Gore, you scarcely ever 
volley at all. 

The second is to run in on your service, and to 
volley everything. Campbell started this game in 
America, and the Americans in general adopt it. 

The third plan is to play from just behind the 
base-line until you get your opponent out of po- 
sition, then to go right up on a good-length drive 
and volley at the net. 

But in all three cases there is this rule, to re- 
turn to one of the two positions directly after 
every stroke, the back position being just behind 
the centre of the base-line, and the forward posi- 
tion being 2 to 4 yards away from the net, but 
along the centre-line from the net. 

There is a third position, which may be called 
the anticipating position, when your opponent's 
stroke is practically confined to one or two pos- 
sibilities. 

But anyhow, you must begin to get into posi- 
tion for a stroke in good time, and you must 
begin to recover from a stroke and get ready for 
the next in good time also. There are too many 
players who wait for a long while before they re- 



74 LAWN TENNIS. 

cover themselves and prepare for the return, and 
so, instead of being quite ready in position when 
the ball conies, they are still moving into posi- 
tion. If they are moving backwards, their stroke 
is usually both hurried and weak. 

The Service. 

As to the service in the Single, little need be 
added to what we have said about the service in 
general. If you are not running in, then as a rule 
it is better to serve right out to the side, so as to 
get your man out of position. This is not always 
a good plan when you are running in, as it gives 
him more room to pass you. The pace of your 
service will depend largely upon whether you 
mean to run in or not. If you mean to run in, 
then it will probably be better to serve slower and 
higher and with more drag. 

The Return of the Service. 

There are several ways of returning the service. 
You can drive down the side-line, or make a 
stroke down the middle line, or a stroke across 
the court. The lob should be used very seldom as 




No. 15.— POSITION OF THE FEET FOR [A BACKHAND DRIVE. 



SINGLES. 77 

a return in the Single. In the Single, moreover, 
it is not so necessary to hit the ball as low as yon 
should in a Double, unless your opponent is run- 
ning in, and even then it is not necessary to hit 
so low if you can place well; good length is far 
more important. 

If you are playing from the right court, the 
most effective return is to drive down the side- 
line to your opponent's backhand. Then you can 
come up to volley his return. But it is a great 
thing to vary your direction and pace, &c. 

If you are playing from the left court, the 
most effective return is a drive across the court, 
not too short, but a good-length stroke near the 
side-line. If the man runs in on his service it 
often pays better to play a slow return low over 
the net, either down the line or across, than to 
try to hit the ball hard past him, for he will have 
to take your slow return while it is dropping, 
and therefore hit it up in the air, in which case 
you will often be able to pass him. But while 
taking the service keep your eye on the ball, and 
utterly ignore the man who is running up to the 
net. 



7$ LAWN TENNIS. 



Placing and Passing. 

This same rule applies to all occasions during 
the rally. You must not look to see where your 
opponent is. 

The return should be varied, just as the service 
should be varied, with respect to pace and place. 
The unexpected is invaluable. As to placing, the 
Americans study accuracy of length rather than 
accuracy of direction; and on the whole their 
length is better than ours, while our direction is 
better than theirs. But some day they will prob- 
ably add the direction also, for they are studying 
every item of play and tactics most carefully and 
thoroughly. 

The Lob. 

Here, again, little need be added to what we 
have said about the lob in general. It is useful 
when you are in difficulties, and especially when 
your opponent is at the net. In that case it is 
safest to lob, and lob high; for it is harder for 
your opponent to kill a high lob or overhead vol- 




No. 16.— BACKHAND DRIVE, TOP HAVING BEEN PUT ON 
THE BALL. 



SINGLES 81 

ley by a smash, and you have more time to re- 
cover your position. A good low lob is useful if 
you can send it just over his head when he is very 
close to the net and not expecting to be lobbed 
over. In the case of both kinds, the lob to the 
backhand is more effective than to the forehand, 
because it is harder to kill. 

Volleying. 

Here we need only repeat that in a Single it is 
a great mistake to volley short, unless you volley 
right across the court. You should rather try to 
get a good length and some pace. If you simply 
pat you will probably be passed. All the general 
rules given for volleying (see Chapter I.) apply 
here, 



82 LAWN TENNIS. 



CHAPTER III. 

DOUBLES AND MIXED DOUBLES. 
(1) DOUBLES. 

General Remarks. 

Doubles are not like Singles. In Doubles you 
are no longer a unit playing for yourself against 
one opponent; you are only half a unit against 
two partners or would-be partners, with a gap 
between them — a weak middle. 

Quite apart from the mental difference, the 
larger number of things to watch, there is the 
difference of strokes, most noticeable of which is 
the stroke down the middle, and, more generally 
speaking, into the intervals between the opposing 
pair. Besides this, the Double needs lower hit- 
ting over the net than the Single does, and needs 
considerably more lobbing. If you get a good 



DOUBLES— MIXED DOUBLES. 83 

length high lob, and your opponents are not good 
at killing, both you and your partner should run 
up to the net. 

In the Doubles there is considerably more vol- 
leying, and it might be asked whether you should 
alter the grip of your racket because of this extra 
play near to the net. All the best players do, ex- 
cept one or two; but the Baddeleys never did. 
You should not grip the racket nearer the face 
in volleying than in making the ordinary strokes ; 
you should never grip the racket higher up than 
an inch from the end. 

The Two as a Pair. 

The two players should learn to work together, 
or at least should have some clear understanding 
as to which is to take this or that kind of ball. 
Yet part of the skill of Lawn Tennis is to adapt 
oneself not only to a new opponent but also to a 
new partner. 

When both you and your partner are at the 
net, you should be parallel and work as one great 
wide man, but as a man of the same width con- 
sistently, not like a concertina, now wider and 



84 LAWN TENNIS. 

now narrower. If you are driven to the left, your 
partner should move to the left also, so that he 
may cover you, or else he will leave too large a 
space between himself and you, down which the 
ball may be hit. 

When a lob has been sent by your opponents, 
do not let it drop if you can help it, unless you 
think it is going out. But, if you must let it 
bounce, then it is best to lob it back again and to 
lob it very high. Meanwhile your partner, di- 
rectly he sees that you will let it drop, should get 
to the back of the court. 

If you have returned the lob without letting it 
bounce, get to the net again as soon as you can, 
with your partner ; in fact, generally try to work 
up towards the net, and to put your opponents on 
the defensive. Make your opponents volley up; 
be yourself always in the position to hit down. 

Lobbing. 

Enough has been said already about lobbing. 
Here we need only remark that the higher it is 
the better, so long as the length is good. 

When you are taking a lob, if it is a very good 




No. 17.— FINISH OF BACKHAND DRIVE. 



DOUBLES— MIXED DOUBLES. 8; 

one, hit it to the man who is further from the net ; 
if it is any other than a good one, hit to the man 
nearer to the net. 

And now as to the players considered as (1) 
the server; (2) the server's partner; (3) the re- 
ceiver; (4) the receiver's partner. 

(1) The Server. — Many of the general re- 
marks about serving will apply here. After 
serving, the player should run to the net always 
and get as near as possible to it without actually 
sprinting. If he sprints he is not so well-balanced 
and is not so steady, and therefore cannot make 
so good a stroke and will sometimes get lobbed 
over. Whereas in a Single he cannot always de- 
cide whether he had better run up to the net or 
not, in a Double he should always run up after 
his service. 

You as the server should take all balls that 
come down the centre or across the court, and all 
lobs over your own head, but not those over your 
partner's — that is to say, if he understands the 
game — for these he should get for himself. 



88 LAWN TENNIS. 

(2) The Server's Partner should stand about 
4 feet from the net, though rather further off if 
the server's second service be weak. He should 
stand a little nearer to the side-line than to the 
centre-line. 

While one's partner is serving, what should 
one look out for, what strbkes should one try to 
take? The server's partner should not look 
round at the server when he is serving. First of 
all, there are the strokes directly down his own 
side-line; then there are easy strokes near the 
centre of the net. These he should be prepared 
to step across and kill. But he must not be too 
eager to jump across in this way — the weaker the 
player is, the more eager he seems to jump across 
for the return of the service which his partner 
could take just as well — lest he should be un- 
ready for a stroke down his own side-line or a 
lob over his head. He may run a greater risk if 
his partner has a hard service. 

Anyhow, you should take all lobs that come on 
your side and not leave them for your partner. 
You must get them if you can before they drop, 
for it is usually fatal to let them drop when play- 



DOUBLES— MIXED DOUBLES. 89 

ing against a good pair ; and therefore you must 
be able to run back well. If you leave them to 
the server, he will not dare to run up to the net ; 
he will be hesitating between guarding his own 
side and taking the lobs which you leave alone. 

(3) The Receiver op the Service should try 
to return the ball low over the net, or else lob. 
Then — this is one of the hardest parts of the 
Double, and one of the reasons why the server has 
such an advantage — he should work up towards 
the net as soon as possible. 

As to his low return, it should be down the 
side, especially if the service be hit to the side and 
bound out of court. This stroke, however, is 
dangerous if it is not well placed, and if it is hit 
rather high. But it is a good one to risk occasion- 
ally so as to keep the server's partner from 
guarding the centre too well and coming across 
out of his own court. 

But the stroke down the centre of the court is 
easiest, and when low is very paying. 

Another paying stroke is the stroke across the 
court quite low down, to drop near to the side- 



9 o LAWN TENNIS. 

line. This is the best, but perhaps the hardest, 
because the server can only just reach it, and is 
forced to hit it up. It is hard for him to pass the 
receiver's partner down the side, and he is almost 
bound to make a cross-return. Then the receiver's 
partner should step across and kill that cross- 
return. 

If the service be very hard, however, the lob 
may be best. 

When you have returned this service (say out 
of the right court) low across the court or down 
the middle, and the server has, as he usually does, 
volleyed it back to you with a fairly good length, 
a very paying stroke for you now to make will 
be a drive right short across the court; but it 
must always be kept low. This stroke is an ex- 
cellent one to make two or three times at the be- 
ginning of a match and every now 'and then 
during it, for it makes the server or man who 
served be prepared for your passing him across, 
and he is not so ready to get back if lobbed, and 
he also leaves more room down the middle, which, 
if his partner tries to cover it, must leave his side- 
line more at your mercy than otherwise would 




No. 18.— THE FINISH OF A BACKHAND DRIVE ACROSS 
THE COURT. 



DOUBLES— MIXED DOUBLES. 93 

be the case. (We think it is a good stroke to go 
for, even if it does not come off.) If the server 
volleys your return back with a very good length 
the best thing to do is to lob. (The cross-stroke 
applies to the left court as to the right.) The 
Americans nearly always return the service thus 
in the Double. You should not try to hit just 
over a man's head off a hard service, as it is too 
difficult, but you should hit a high and good- 
length stroke. As a rule, the higher the lob the 
better. 

But variety is vital, and occasionally one 
should hit a slow service straight at the man at 
the net. 

(4) The Receiver's Partner. — It is a ques- 
tion where the receiver's partner should stand 
when the service is being sent. Much depends 
on the nature of the service which the other has 
to take. If the service is fairly hard and, indeed, 
for all second services, he should stand between 
the net and the service-line. If, however, the 
server has a very hard service, he should stand 
about a yard behind the base-line. 



94 LAWN TENNIS. 

If lie is up, and if his partner makes a good 
low return, then he may be able to kill the next 
stroke. If he is back, as the Americans usually 
are, and if his partner makes a weak high return, 
he will have more time and chance to get it; 
whereas, if he were at the net it would probably 
be hit down at his feet. 

Two more general remarks on Double play may 
be of use. 

When all four players are at the net and your 
partner is volleying backwards and forwards, do 
not watch him, but the ball, as if it were yourself 
who had volleyed, and then you will be ready if 
the ball is suddenly hit at you. 

Never get cross with your partner, but if he is 
"off" and playing badly, cheer him up, as it may 
be only want of nerve that is putting him off, and 
if he sees that you are annoyed it will make him 
worse. 

(2) MIXED DOUBLES. 

Mixed doubles are perhaps more beloved by 
ladies than by men, partly because one man hates 
to hit so many balls to the opposing lady and the 



DOUBLES— MIXED DOUBLES. 95 

other man hates so many balls to be hit to his 
partner-lady. Yet in a match a man must not 
mind sending a good many returns to the lady, 
if only we except smashes, since he is in honour 
bound to try to win for his partner's sake. 

Apart from the American type, in which the 
woman stands at the net and the man jumps 
around, there are two important classes of Mixed 
Doubles. In the first, both players volley, some- 
what as in men's Doubles ; in the second, the girl 
is at the base-line while her partner dodges about, 
usually near the net, trying to kill as many re- 
turns as possible. A variety of play is seen when 
both players are standing back. This game may 
be dismissed at once with the advice that the 
man should take balls when there is doubt. 

The first game, in which both players volley at 
the net, is the prettier game and also the pleas- 
anter to play. But very few girls can volley well 
enough to be safe up at the net, and unless they 
are really good volleyers they are much better at 
the back of the court, leaving their partners to do 
the net-work. We shall say most about this game 



96 LAWN TENNIS. 

here, because least has been said about it in other 
books. 

When the man is serving, the girl, his partner, 
stands close up to the net, the closer the better, 
and the man follows up his service. The girl 
should content herself with taking all balls hit 
down her side-line, or straight at her, or over her 
head if they are weak lobs. The man must take 
all the middle balls, all balls straight across, and 
most of the lobs. 

When the girl is serving, her partner should 
stand up at the net ready to run across in case he 
gets a chance of killing a return. He may come 
back if the man-opponent has a very hard return 
of the service, but as a rule he should be up at the 
net. The girl should not run in on her service, 
unless she is a very good volleyer. 

Where the girl should stand when her partner 
is receiving the service depends on many things. 
If the opponent has a hard first service, she had 
better stand behind the base-line. She should 
stand here also if her partner has rather a weak 
return. Otherwise she should be at the net when 
the girl is returning the service. Where the man 




No. 19.— POSITION AS ONE WAITS FOR A VOLLEY AT THE NET. 



DOUBLES— MIXED DOUBLES. 99 

should stand depends on his partner's power of 
return. If she is weak, he had better be back; 
otherwise he should stand just inside the service- 
line. 

When both the girl and the man are up at the 
net volleying, the girl ought to be closer to the 
net than the man is, as the man must be ready to 
run back and smash the lobs. Also, if the girl is 
further away than the man, or even level with 
him, she will get more work. If she is close up 
they will not hit at her so much, in case she may 
kill the ball. We notice how, in men's Doubles, 
the man further from the net generally gets more 
work than his partner. When both the man and 
the girl are up, the girl should be from 1 to 2 or 
2|- yards, the man from 4 to 4J yards from the net. 

As to the second kind of Mixed Doubles, when 
the man is serving from the right court his part- 
ner should stand just outside the base-line, well 
to the left of centre of the left court, so as to 
cover her backhand, which is nearly always the 
weak stroke of girls. The man should as a rule 
follow up his service. 

When the girl is serving, the man should al- 

L.ofC. 



ioc LAWN TENNIS. 

ways stay up at the net if the girl-opponent is 
returning the service, and he should be ready to 
run across if he gets a chance of killing the re- 
turn. If the man-opponent has a hard return, he 
may sometimes be wise to stand back. 

The other positions should be as in the first 
kind of Mixed Doubles, only the girl should al- 
ways be back. The man should every now and 
then run across and volley, especially the girl's 
returns, partly because it is so much easier to 
tell where the girl is placing her stroke than 
where the man is placing his. His girl-partner 
must not mind if he does miss a few or get passed, 
but he should not risk too much. It may baulk 
a girl if her opponent is always dodging about 
at the net, because girls when they are going to 
hit the ball generally take their eye off the ball 
to look where the man is, and -*vhat he is doing; 
hence they either miss the ball or hit it straight 
at the man. If the man-opponent is getting too 
near to the net and is running across a great deal, 
his girl-partner should lob, and should not mind 
risking hitting a few out. 

The lob is one of the most important strokes 



DOUBLES— MIXED DOUBLES. 101 

for the girl to be good at in Mixed Doubles, and 
indeed in Singles also; in fact, a girl cannot 
really be good at Mixed Doubles unless she can 
lob. 



io2 LAWN TENNIS. 



CHAPTER IV. 

HINTS ON PRACTICE, TRAINING, AND MATCH PLAY. 
( 1 ) PRACTICE AND TRAINING. 

Some players are content with a couple of 
weeks' practice. W. Renskaw was one of these. 
Smith requires two months, and so do players 
like the Aliens. Among the best kinds of practice 
is the tournament, for it helps you to observe that 
vital law of practice — never to play slackly. 

The test of when you should stop practice is 
the interest and keenness on the play. Staleriess 
is to a great extent due to play when one is slack. 

A few exercises for beginners may be of use : 

The beginner should learn to be quick on his 
feet : for example, to run back quickly in order to 
smash a ball. 

For the smash, as well as for the service, he 
should get his right shoulder well down, his trunk 




No. 20.— LOW FOREHAND VOLLEY. 



HINTS ON PRACTICE. 105 

bent back, and his head up, with his eye on the 
ball. Then he should give a full swing with the 
body and carry through his racket so that it ends 
up near his left knee. He should not lose his 
poise, but after his service he should be prepared 
to run in immediately. 

From the waiting position, which is shown in 
the illustration, he should be able to pass easily 
into the forehand position, make a free swinging 
stroke with a full follow-through in this position, 
then recover himself and return to the waiting 
position. From the waiting position he may pass 
to the backhand position similarly. 

With regard to details, he should familiarize 
himself with the correct grip and the change of 
grip. He should strengthen his wrist ; he should, 
if he has the opportunity, practise the commonest 
strokes up against a wall, taking care to face 
sideways, for this is one of the great secrets of a 
good swinging stroke. 

(2) MATCH PLAY. 

It is well to knock up for a few minutes before 
a match, so as to get your eye in. The Americans 



106 LAWN TENNIS. 

generally practise for ten minutes. This is right 
if you are a bad starter. 

But when once the match has begun, then you 
must go as hard as you can from start to finish. 
You should never slack off if you are ahead, else, 
especially after playing your hardest, you are 
most likely to go to pieces and be unable to play 
up again when you wish to. But, on the other 
hand, when you are behind, you should ^.ever give 
up ; you should ignore the score and try for every 
stroke as it comes. Remember that hundreds of 
matches have been won after coming within a 
single point of being lost. Play your best game, 
whatever the score may be. The man who sticks 
to it, and tries for every single point, will often 
beat a player who is otherwise half -fifteen better. 

Above all, never let the mistakes of an umpire 
or linesman put you off. Think of nothing but 
the game; no one can play satisfactorily except 
with his whole mind on the game. Let there be 
no hurry and no flurry. 

If you lose the first few games, do not get 
frightened and play softly, as a number of players 
do. This panic is one of the reasons why so many 



HINTS ON PRACTICE, 107 

play better in practice than in matches. There 
is as great a difference between a Single practice 
game and a Single match as there is between a 
Single and a Double. People ehould play prac- 
tice games with the same keenness with which 
they play matches; they should play matches 
with the same calmness with which they play 
practice games. This applies only to the spirit 
of calmness, and not to the general tactics. In a 
match you should use your head, and try to find 
out your opponent's weak points and play to 
these. You should try to avoid your own weak 
points. In practice this would be bad advice. 
Here you should try to strengthen your own weak 
points. 

Before you play a match, do not think about it. 
While you are playing it, unless you are dry and 
the weather is very hot, do not drink. If you 
must drink, take some simple drink like oatmeal- 
water or tea. 



io8 LAWN TENNIS. 



CHAPTER V. 

BRIEF NOTES FOR BEGINNERS, WITH A LIST OF COM- 
MON FAULTS. 

Anyone who is starting to play the game 
should get a good racket, balls, boots or shoes, etc. 
It never pays to get cheap things at a bazaar ; it 
is far better to go to a good place and incur a 
little more expense at the beginning by getting 
the best bats, balls, and so on, and thus start 
under good conditions. The clothing should, 
of course, be such as will not in any way cramp 
free running and hitting. 

Then the player should learn how to hold the 
racket. This is most important. For if he starts, 
as many do, by holding it in some manner which 
seems ordinary to him but is extraordinary to 
one who wishes to succeed and who knows the 




No. 21.— LOW BACKHAND VOLLEY. 



NOTES FOR BEGINNERS. in 

reasons for things, lie will get a bad style. Style, 
which was once defined as "the easiest way of 
doing a given thing successfully," depends a 
great deal upon how the racket is held. Besides, 
if one starts with the wrong grip, it will take 
some time to get out of the habit. Players who 
have played for years, and who have reached a 
certain standard, chiefly by sheer practice, and 
who hold their racket in the wrong way, would do 
well to learn a better way and then practise it. 
Of course at first they will play much worse when 
holding it correctly than they did when holding 
it in the old familiar way, but having once be- 
come used to the new grip they will rapidly im- 
prove. 

Begin as early as you can to master this and 
other essentials of style. 

Beginners should be content with playing off 
the ground at first, and should not try to volley. 
They should not try to hit very hard either, but 
should aim at a good length and accurate direc- 
tion. After every stroke they should return to a 
spot a yard behind the base-line. It may en- 
courage them to know that R. F. is not quick at 



ii2 LAWN TENNIS. 

actual running, but is quick at returning to Ms 
proper position. 

Beginners should try to judge where the ball 
will strike the ground, and then where it will be 
when it is at its proper height for their stroke, 
so that they may be at the right distance from 
it. It is better for them to be too far from it 
than too near to it, as it is easier to run forwards 
than backwards, and it is also easier to make a 
good stroke when one is running forwards than 
when one is running backwards. 

Though we tell the beginner to aim at good 
length and accurate direction before he hits as 
hard as he can, yet it is a mistake for him merely 
to pat the ball. He should always meet the ball 
instead of letting it meet him, and he should 
bring the head of the racket right through. 

Practise the ideal strokes, whatever they are, 
and in games and matches get as near to them 
as you can. Part of the ideal stroke is to have 
the body well roimd, and not facing forwards ; to 
play with the body, and not only with the wrist ; 
to keep away from the ball but not too far away ; 
to make a stroke that meets the ball squarely so 



NOTES FOR BEGINNERS. 113 

as to add pace, a stroke that meets the ball and 
does not let it meet the racket, a stroke that gets 
over the ball, and follows through in the direction 
in which one wishes to hit the ball — these are 
some of the golden rules for the general stroke. 

As to service, get a moderately good first serve 
as nearly a certainty rather than a very fast first 
serve as a mere possibility. Make your opponent 
move to take your service; try to get him out of 
position. 

This is the secret of tactics, to get your oppo- 
nent out of position, while you yourself return to 
position as soon as possible after your stroke. 

Try to make your opponent hit the ball up so 
that you may kill it by hitting it down. 

When you are in difficulties lob high. 

Anticipate your opponent's stroke if you can 
safely do so. Much depends on observation of 
what most players usually do, and much on a 
certain innate genius. 

In the Double, keep on a level with your 
partner or else return to the level, and with him 
work up gradually towards the net. 



ii4 LAWN TENNIS. 



Some Common Faults. 

The commonest fault is to start wrongly and 
get a bad habit. We shall here omit details with 
which we have dealt before. For instance, you 
should avoid too severe a first service ; you should 
try a new service occasionally, since it may suit 
you. Leaving out such points, we must come 
to the fundamentals, and the first of these is the 
one mentioned just now — the grip. 

It is probable that a grip which is good for a 
forehand stroke may be bad for a backhand 
stroke. It is probable that most players will find 
a change of grip advisable. A bad grip is by 
itself a sufficient cause for an unsatisfactory 
stroke. 

Then there is the wrong position of the feet, 
and especially the position when they face the 
net too much, instead of facing the side to which 
the ball is coming. Or a player may be getting 
too near to the ball so that he loses power, 
or he may fail to return to his proper waiting 
position after the stroke. He «may be content 
with having made the stroke, forgetting that 



NOTES FOR BEGINNERS. 115 

another is to follow immediately. This may be 
due to sleepiness of mind or to stiffness of body, 
or to loss of poise. 

Not only is the position of the body often at 
fault, but the position in the court itself is re- 
sponsible for a number of mistakes. A stroke 
which would be easy if the player were down the 
centre-line, either near the net or outside the 
base-line, becomes hard if the player is caught 
between the service-line and the base-line, the 
very worst position for most players. 

Another common fault is to take the eye off 
the ball, and particularly to let the eye fall on 
the opponent if he is at the net. 

It is a mistake not to have a variety of play ; 
one should not practise too much with the same 
player, unless he is very good all round. 

As to the double game, out of all the faults we 
have included in the above remarks we may take 
out this one in particular — that a player very 
often fails to understand how much ground he 
should cover, and is apt to get too near to his 
partner or too far from him or else out of the 
parallel line. 



n6 LAWN TENNIS. 



CHAPTER VI. 

OUR IMPRESSIONS OF PLAY AND PLAYERS IN 
AMERICA. 

Ladies do not play at any of the big tourna- 
ments in America, but in small garden-tourna- 
ments tliey play Mixed Doubles and Ladies' Sin- 
gles, and also have a championship tournament 
of their own. This seems a better arrangement 
than for the two sexes to play at the same tour- 
naments. Mixed Doubles are not much liked, or 
perhaps it would be safer to say they are not 
taken very seriously by the American men 
players. Ladies at Lawn Tennis there are looked 
on as Englishwomen at Cricket here. Bigger 
crowds go to see matches, and are ever so much 
keener about the game. 

The play of American men is quite unlike ours, 
though equal to ours in point of skill. If the 




& 



No. 22.— W. A. LARNED, CHAMPION OF THE UNITED STATES 

1901—1902. 



PLAY— PLAYERS IN AMERICA. 119 

twelve best players of one country played against 
the twelve best players of the other, it would be 
very hard indeed to say which would win. The 
American conditions, except for the great heat, 
are quite up to ours ; and one could not wish to 
have better courts than those at Brookline near 
Boston, or at Newport, on which the champion- 
ships were played, or at the Athletic Club, Bay 
Bidge, near New York, on which the Interna- 
tional matches were played, and which are quite 
perfect. The courts at Southampton were better 
than the ordinary courts which one gets at an 
English seaside resort. Moreover, all the Amer- 
icans we played against were delightful men to 
meet and oppose, and thorough sportsmen; and 
the gallery, taken as a whole, were sportsmanlike 
also, and ready to applaud good strokes, whether 
they were made by Englishmen or Americans. 

But the umpires and linesmen are not nearly 
severe enough to people who foot-fault. They 
rarely call "fault" at all when a server steps into 
the court while serving a ball. They will call 
"fault" at once when anyone's left toe touches the 
line; this is, of course, not nearly so important. 



120 LAWN TENNIS. 

The Americans themselves say that the excessive 
running in on the service rather spoils the game, 
and that the server has too great an advantage. 
The advantage would be much smaller if every 
time a foot-fault were made it were called. And 
this applies to both first and second services. The 
linesman will often fault a man on his first serv- 
ice, but he does not like to do it on the second as it 
will lose him the point. A good law, and one 
worth considering by those in authority, would 
be that if a man made a foot-fault at all he should 
lose the whole stroke, whether the foot-fault were 
made on the first or second service. 

The ideas of most English people about Amer- 
ican players are based chiefly on what they have 
seen of Davis and Ward. Now Davis and Ward 
are exceptional. There are no other two players 
like them in America. The two Wrenns, for 
example, play quite a different game, going in for 
safety and lobbing the return of the service. But 
still, perhaps, one might decide that on the whole 
the Americans were more brilliant in one sense. 
What strikes one first of all in their play is that it 
is very ingenious. The American may be said to 




No. 23— M. D. WHITMAN, CHAMPION OF THE UNITED 
STATES 1898, 1899, 1900. 



PLAY— PLAYERS IN AMERICA. 123 

make it almost his entire aim to win. He does not 
care much how the stroke is accomplished so long 
as it scores, and who shall say this is not correct? 

Certainly the American game is, if not more 
brilliant, at any rate more aggressive than ours ; 
even the lob is often used for attack and not 
merely for defence. There is in the American 
stroke a greater show of pace. We may doubt 
whether there is more real pace, and whether 
most of it is not apparent rather than real ; but 
certainly the players get rather more top on their 
drives. 

Even the most obvious exception, the service, 
which is slower, has as its object to enable the 
server to get to the net by running in on every- 
thing. The server usually serves down the cen- 
tre-line, so as not to give his opponent too much 
room to pass him. When at the back of the court 
the American is very good at getting to the net 
after his drive; indeed, while we repeat that 
we doubt whether his stroke itself has more 
pace than ours, we can hardly doubt that he 
is quicker at running up after he has made his 
drive. Americans one and all, with perhaps a 



i2 4 LAWN TENNIS. 

single exception (Stevens), make it their su- 
preme object to get in as close to the net as they 
can. If we can speak of such a thing as American 
tactics in general, we must include this. 

And certainly the plan pays, because the Amer- 
icans volley so well overhead. On the whole, they 
are better at smashing lobs than the English are. 

In fact, they have brought to great perfection 
at least three points : first, the run in on the serv- 
ice, and the kind of service on which one can run 
in, so that they manage to get in close before the 
ball has returned ; secondly, overhead play ; and, 
thirdly, lobbing. On the whole, they lob higher 
than we do. 

On the other hand, the Americans, except 
Beals Wright, are bad on the low volley, espe- 
cially in Doubles. They are less accurate in di- 
rection, though not in length ; they have less "fol- 
low-through" ; they have less gracefulness of 
style. 

But they have more seriousness in this as in 
everything that they do. Perhaps they do not 
practise so much more than we do, but they take 
more interest in their practice and in their play. 



PLAY— PLAYERS IN AMERICA. 125 

The game is played more at the 'Varsities; the 
players train more thoroughly. 

If anyone had seen a great deal both of English 
and of American play, he might say that the first- 
class players in America reached greater heights 
and also occasionally touched lower depths than 
the first-class players in England. 

Coming now to individuals, in Singles we 
should without hesitation say that the two best 
players are Whitman and Larned, though we 
might doubt which of the two would win. Per- 
haps Whitman would win more consistently and 
oftener, though it is possible that Larned might 
beat him quite easily on his day. 

Whitman is very safe everywhere, and has not 
a weak point. We believe he has only been 
beaten once in the last five years. Perhaps his 
backhand is almost as good as his forehand. He 
plays the volleying game, as nearly all the Amer- 
icans do, and gets up to the net on every possible 
occasion, and when at the net is very hard to 
pass. He is wonderfully sure on his volley and, 
besides, has an enormous reach, and is very active 
and severe overhead. Off the ground he plays 



126 LAWN TENNIS. 

rather a soft but still an accurate game, and gets 
more pace on the ball than he seems to. His 
length is always excellent. He hits the ball 
rather low, and passes well. And he has that su- 
preme merit — that he rarely misses easy strokes. 
His weakest point is the weakest point of nearly 
all Americans — the low volley. His twist service 
is a little puzzling, though not really as difficult 
as that of either Davis or Ward. It is good for 
running in on, and its reverse twist makes it 
hang in the air, and also makes it very hard for 
the opponent to place. Whitman uses his head 
all the time, and his game is carefully thought 
out. 

Lamed, when on his game, is very fine indeed 
and very brilliant. His is a good style and pleas- 
ant to watch. Throughout he hits hard, and goes 
for his stroke. With very little effort Larned 
gets great pace on the ball. His forehand is dis- 
tinctly stronger than his backhand, but he puts 
top on both, hitting nearly at the height of the 
bound. Among his strongest points are his fore- 
hand volley, which is very hard indeed, and his 
service, which is a capital one of the ordinary 




No. 24.— D. F. DAVIS AND H. WARD. 
The American Team that Played Against England in Doubles, 1900. 



PLAY—PLAYERS IN AMERICA. 129 

straight kind, and which he, as a rule, follows up 
to the net. He is quick at reaching the net after 
a good length drive, and he can drive the ball 
while he is on the run. He is good at the volley, 
but erratic at times in his return of the service. 
He has really only one fault — namely, that he 
varies at times; he has his off-days. 

Beals Wright is certainly the best in America 
at low volleys, and is very good overhead. His 
volleying is distinctly superior to his ground 
strokes, and his forehand is somewhat stronger 
than his backhand. He has a good service, which 
he follows up to the net. 

Clothier has copied Whitman, but is not so 
good. His twist service is much the same as 
Whitman's, and he always follows it up to the 
net. He volleys well, and is especially severe 
overhead. His volleying is considerably superior 
to his ground strokes. 

Ware is a very pretty player, an all-round 
player with a good style. His forehand, back- 
hand, and volley are all good. He should improve 
a great deal with practice: 

In Doubles there are two very fine pairs, Davis 



i 3 o LAWN TENNIS. 

and Ward and the Wrenns. It is hard to say 
which is the stronger pair, though perhaps the 
verdict might be given for Davis and Ward. In 
style no two pairs could be more different, Davis 
and Ward being unlike any other pair anywhere, 
if only because of their extraordinary severity; 
the Wrenns being more like the Baddeleys, won- 
derfully safe, and missing very few easy strokes. 

The Wrenns lob the service oftener than the 
Baddeleys did. Their own service is not severe, 
but they get in on it very close to the net, and are 
good at close volleying. Their strongest point is 
their lobbing ; they lob very high and with splen- 
did length. Overhead they are safe, though not 
severe. One does not get any change by lobbing 
to them. They have any amount of return, and 
are very active as well as patient. 

Davis and Ward, as we have said, play a game 
quite their own. Both serve the American twist 
service, and serve it better than anyone else. 
They sometimes stand in the same court: when 
Ward is serving out of the right court, Davis also 
stands in the right court up at the net. Ward's 
service curves in the air to the right, and when it 




No. 25.— ROBT. D. WRENN. 



PLAY— PLAYERS IN AMERICA. 131 

strikes the ground bounds to the left. (Davis is 
left-handed, so his service does just the reverse.) 
Ward's service has so much twist on it that if one 
tries to hit down the line to Ward as he runs in 
on it, the ball will go across the court to Davis 
who is there waiting to kill it. They both lob 
very frequently while returning the service, vary- 
ing this stroke, however, by hard drives across the 
court. Their lob is like the Wrenns' — high and 
good. Both are brilliant, and go for their stroke 
nearly every time, especially Davis, who kills lobs 
harder than anyone else who has ever played the 
game. Their volley is altogether very severe. 



i 3 2 LAWN TENNIS. 



CHAPTER VII. 

LADIES' play. 
By Miss Toupie Lowther. 

It is curious to note what a marked inferiority 
there is in the ladies' game as compared to the 
men's, if one takes the best representatives of 
both sexes. Allowing a handicap of even as much 
as 15 for skirts and ladies' dress in general, still 
men's greater strength and activity will ever give 
them a very decided superiority over any wo- 
man. 

As regards this question of dress, I think it is a 
pity a regulation costume in keeping with the 
game is not enforced. A lady's modesty does not 
prevent her from doing gymnastics, for instance, 
before a large audience, dressed in garments be- 
fitting the occasion ; and yet she will appear on a 
tennis court in skirts very often so long that she 



LADIES' PLAY. 133 

is in danger of falling over them and injuring 
herself, not to speak of losing the stroke, or game 
or match. I do not propose that ladies should 
adopt what I believe is called the "rational cos- 
tume," but surely there is a just medium in 
all things, and there is no reason why they 
should not wear short skirts, well above ankles, 
unless (but this is between the readers of this 
chapter and myself) the ankles of some of them 
happen to be unusually large; which special 
cases might be brought before the committee with 
a view to special permission to keep to the "trail- 
ing garments" ! 

Apart from the unworkmanlike and clumsy 
appearance of too long a skirt, it tells against the 
player, not only by impeding her movements 
while in the act of running for a stroke, but by 
causing fatigue unnecessarily; and that is seri- 
ous in a game which, perhaps more than any 
other, requires staying power. 

Ladies have acquired this most necessary qual- 
ity to a remarkable extent. It sometimes occurs 
that a man breaks down under the severe mental 
and physical strain of a five-set match, and re- 



134 LAWN TENNIS. 

tires before the end. The instances on record of 
a lady doing this are very rare. Though ladies 
only play the best of three sets as compared to 
the men's five, yet, if we take into consideration 
their inferior physical strength, it seems to imply 
that women, as a rule, expend less nervous energy 
than do men at the game ; or is it that they have 
more pluck? This is only a suggestion. That re- 
calls to my mind a very plucky game I witnessed 
in Germany. It was a few years ago at Hom- 
burg, when Miss Jones, the American lady cham- 
pion, met Miss Eobb, our late champion, in the 
Open Singles. Both ladies played a wonderfully 
strong game; they were one set all, and Miss 
Jones was leading 5 — 3 and 40.15 in the final 
set. She needed a point to win the set and 
match ; but, whereas Miss Robb was compara- 
tively fresh (I say comparatively), poor Miss 
Jones was at her last gasp, having reached that 
stage of exhaustion when even the sight becomes 
affected and the limbs seem to have leaden 
weights attached to them. I knew that Miss 
Jones had a weak heart, and her appearance 
made me feel quite nervous; but she would not 



LADIES' PLAY. 135 

give in, though when the last point was called she 
could scarcely walk off the court. Miss Robb was 
ultimately victorious by 9 games to 7 ; but every 
game was lengthily contested, and only won after 
tremendous rallies. Miss Jones lost through 
inferior staying power. She deserved to win, and 
with a very little luck would have done so. 

I must now say a few words about some of our 
leading lady players. Mrs. Hillyard has played 
and won more matches than any other lady; the 
number of trophies she possesses in the shape of 
cups is almost incredible. She is a most deter- 
mined player ; however nearly she may seem to be 
losing a match, she will never lose heart, but will 
play on with the same pluck and energy to the 
last stroke. Mrs. Hillyard's personal and dis- 
tinctive stroke is a powerful and wonderfully ac- 
curate forehand drive of a perfect length. She is 
very active, and covers the court better than most 
ladies. Mrs. Hillyard and Mrs. Sterry share the 
proud position of being our two best lady players. 
Mrs. Sterry's game is more varied than that of 
Mrs. Hillyard ; she possesses more strokes, and is 
an instance of a player with no one weak point. 



i 3 6 LAWN TENNIS. 

She is our best volleyer. Another player who 
may be bracketed with the two above mentioned, 
with regard to excellence, is Mrs. Greville. In 
her case it is interesting to note how strong an 
influence surroundings and locality may have 
on a player. Mrs. Greville has a most admirable 
style, a perfect backhand, is a good volleyer, and 
has a thorough knowledge of the game. Hers is 
both an intelligent and a pretty game to watch. 
She has beaten Mrs. Hillyard several times, and I 
believe I am accurate in stating that she has 
beaten Mrs. Sterry thirteen times, and has been 
beaten fifteen times by our ex-lady champion. 
She held the covered court Championship at 
Queen's Club for five years. Yet, with all these 
successes to her credit, she has invariably failed 
to do herself justice at Wimbledon. She has told 
me that the courts and surroundings there exer- 
cise an influence over her which is most perni- 
cious to her game. I am aware that this does not 
prevent people from estimating Mrs. Greville at 
her just value, only for her own satisfaction it 
seems a pity she should not have been able to do 
herself justice at our most important tourna- 



LADIES' PLAY. 137 

merit. Nevertheless, Mrs. Greville at her best is 
a match for any lady in the United Kingdom. 

Miss Robb, who wrested the championship from 
Mrs. Sterry in 1902, is another very fine player ; 
she is a base-line player and possesses the hardest 
drive of any lady. Miss Robb is undoubtedly a 
very strong player, and were her volleying and 
her backhand as good as her ground and forehand 
strokes, she would certainly be the best lady 
player living. But her two last-named strokes 
are not good, and hence the possible risk she in- 
curs of losing the title of champion which she has 
so meritoriously won ; for, though Mrs. Hillyard 
lacks both these qualities, Miss Robb has not that 
never-failing steadiness which characterizes the 
former celebrated player. 

I have been asked to say a few words as to 
what methods, in my opinion, ladies should adopt 
in order to play and loin. I start by saying that 
the question of service is of importance. Person- 
ally (though I practise it myself) I do not believe 
in the overhead service, and for this reason : un- 
less an overhead service is distinctly severe it is 
ineffective, and if a lady attains this necessary 



i 3 8 LAWN TENNIS. 

severity it is generally at the cost of her vital 
energy. To keep up a hard overhead service 
during three sets without its being at this cost, 
requires more strength than the average woman 
possesses. Again, as a rule a lady's second service 
(overhead) is very weak and it is often short; 
consequently it is generally preferable for ladies 
to serve underhand and to their opponent's back- 
hand, keeping a good length and imparting a 
slight "cut" to the ball in order to keep it low 
(to impart this cut you make the racket travel 
across the body from right to left ) . Other advan- 
tages of the underhand service are the smaller 
disparity of pace between the first and second 
service, also the greater facility of getting in the 
first without a fault. Miss Dod, who was, per- 
haps, the best lady player there has ever been, 
practised the underhand service. 

As to the methods that should be adopted while 
playing the game, I am an advocate of volleying. 
I do not hesitate to say that, provided two ladies 
are equally matched in point of excellence, the 
volleyer will win. 

This affirmation is easily proven. Always sup- 



LADIES' PLAY. 139 

posing that the two opponents are of equal merit, 
the volleyer will theoretically win the point every 
time the latter makes a short stroke, across the 
court or otherwise, as it is impossible for the 
base-line player to run back and to get into posi- 
tion in time ; and even were she able to do so, her 
return would be ineffective, and therefore at the 
next stroke her opponent (the volleyer) would or 
should have her at her mercy, because she can in- 
tercept this weak return at the net and then place 
it wherever the base-line player cannot get it. 

For the same reason that I do not advise ladies 
to adopt the overhead service — viz., fatigue — ■ 
neither am I an advocate of their "running in" 
on their service. Invaluable as it is to a man's 
game, I have never seen it done serviceably in a 
ladies' Single, though it is necessary in a Mixed 
when the man's partner is a volleyer. 

Lastly, I come to the backhand. For some rea- 
son few ladies find it worth their while to play 
this stroke in the right style. The best way to 
practise it is to grip the handle of the racket 
tightly and, turning the body sideways, to put the 
thumb along the handle; this will be found a 



HO LAWN TENNIS. 

great help, as it prevents the head of the racket 
from turning into a slanting position. 

I close this chapter on ladies' tennis by saying 
that good players are increasing in number every 
year, and that they are quite as assiduous in giv- 
ing up as much of their time to practise this most 
difficult game as are the men. 

The best among the foreign players is un- 
doubtedly Countess Schulenberg, the German 
lady champion. She has a good hard underhand 
service, an excellent forehand and backhand 
stroke, and plays altogether a very strong game. 



HINTS ON GRASS COURTS. 141 



CHAPTER VIII. 

SOME HINTS ON THE CONSTRUCTION AND CARE OF 
GRASS COURTS. 

By Mr. George W. Hillyard. 

The paradise of a lawn tennis player, I take it, 
would be a perfect English summer day ; a well- 
matched Double; and last, but by no means least, 
a really good grass court. 

The latter adjunct, even in this year of grace 
1903, is so great a rarity that I verily believe the 
majority of people have never seen, much less 
played on one! It is curious this should be the 
case, as Great Britain, of all countries in the 
world, is blessed with splendid natural turf and a 
suitable climate for keeping it in order. There 
are dozens of fine bowling-greens, and hundreds 
of true golf-greens scattered throughout the 
length and breadth of the kingdom, while a good 



142 LAWN TENNIS. 

grass lawn tennis court is almost as rare a sight 
as a dead donkey ! So I am reluctantly forced to 
conclude that the only explanation for bad courts 
is the want of a little energy and "elbow grease." 

A grass court, if it aspires to come within the 
term "perfection," must first of all be placed the 
right way for the sun, and, as most people in 
England play during the afternoon, the court 
ought to be laid due north and south. We know 
of courts on which championships are held — "but 
that is another story" ! 

While thinking of the points of the compass 
it is well for us to ascertain that the contem- 
plated site for the court is large enough. There 
are few more exasperating inflictions for the 
long-suffering lawn tennis player than a court 
good in other respects, but with too little room at 
the sides and ends, so that to reach any decent 
"length" or well-placed ball one has to risk either 
breaking one's neck down a bank or dashing one's 
brains out against a wall! If the court is 124 
feet long by 66 feet wide, as it ought to be, any 
ordinary insurance company will take these as 
"fair risks." When choosing your site, try if 



HINTS ON GRASS COURTS. 145 

possible to take advantage of any natural shelter 
from the wind, such as a good yew-hedge, or dense 
mass of shrubs and trees ; these will also form a 
good background. The trees must not be too 
close to the ivest side of the court, otherwise in 
the afternoon their shadows will be a nuisance 
not to be endured. 

If you are so situated that no "background" is 
available, a good plan is to shelter the court all 
round with a boarded fence, at least 10 feet high, 
painted a dark green. This will be useful, but, 
I am afraid, not ornamental. However, if the 
large-leaved variety of English ivy is planted, the 
fence will be completely covered in the course of 
three or four years, and then will be quite the re- 
verse of an eyesore. Of course, if money is no 
object, a brick wall is still better than boards, 
as it is a permanency. When a very large amount 
of digging has to be done before the site of the 
court can be levelled, the excavated earth may be 
utilized in throwing up high banks all round, 
which should be turfed over : this dispenses with 
any necessity for a fence or wall. 

Next comes the all-important point of laying 



146 LAWN TENNIS. 

down the court itself. This we may do in two 
ways, either by raising the grass from seed or by 
turfing. If good turf is procurable I should cer- 
tainly recommend the latter plan, as the court 
will be ready for play the sooner ; but it is no good 
putting down bad, weedy, clovery turf; it will 
never give satisfaction, and will be much more 
bother and expense in the long run. Messrs. Car- 
ter, of High Holborn, have dealt so extensively 
with raising turf from seed, in their excellent lit- 
tle handbook, that here no further reference need 
be made to that method. 

We will assume that good turf is available, and 
the actual ground has been levelled. Drainage is 
the next thing to be thought of. The amount will, 
of course, depend on whether the court is low- 
lying and wet, or high and naturally well- 
drained. In the latter event very little will 
suffice. In the former the ground ought to be 
thoroughly drained by a system of agricultural 
pipes laid in a "herring-bone" pattern the whole 
length of the court, the centre-line, as it were, 
being the backbone, and the transverse pipes 
being laid at intervals of about 6 feet, so as to 



HINTS ON GRASS COURTS. 147 

drain the surface as evenly as possible. Take 
care that sufficient fall is given the pipes to carry 
the water away. They will not want to go more 
than 1 foot into the solid ground, as they are only 
for surface drainage. On top of your solid 
ground, when the drains have been laid and 
everything levelled up, you will need at least 1 
foot of good loamy soil, which will have to be 
rolled and raked several times till you get it 
absolutely level and sufficiently consolidated to 
allow the delicate operation of turfing to be prop- 
erly performed. One very important point in the 
process is to see that the turfs are cut a uniform 
thickness, otherwise it will be next to impossible 
to get the surface of the court really true. After 
the turf is laid it should be well "rammed," and 
any little inequalities taken out, then rolled with 
a light roller, and again carefully inspected for 
irregularities. A good plan now is to leave it 
alone for two or three weeks, to allow the roots of 
the grass to take hold, and the turfs to settle a 
bit. It then requires to be well rolled with a 
heavy roller. The best time for turfing is from 
the end of September until the end of November, 



148 LAWN TENNIS. 

but the earlier the better, as there is less chance 
of frost interfering with the work, and the turfs 
have all the longer time to get thoroughly knitted 
together in readiness for the next season's play. 
The court ought to be rolled all through the win- 
ter (except, of course, during frost) at least once 
a week with a light roller, and as the spring ap- 
proaches, say towards the beginning of April, a 
heavy roller should be substituted. 

No hard and fast rule can be laid down for this 
rolling; it depends entirely upon whether the 
spring is dry or wet, and must be left to the 
judgment of the person in charge of the ground. 
On it will depend in a great measure whether the 
court is satisfactory or not during the summer. 

Never let the grass grow more than 2 inches 
long at any time of the year. This is a most 
important point. The only way to obtain a good 
thick turf is by constant use of the mowing-ma- 
chine. A great number of people seem to have a 
vague idea that if the grass is allowed to grow 
fairly long the court will wear better, but that 
this notion is a fallacy cannot be too strongly 
urged. Continual mowing sends strength back 



HINTS ON GRASS COURTS. 149 

into the roots, and forms a close turf, which will 
not only play far truer, but will wear far better 
than grass that is allowed to grow 3 or 4 inches 
long. In fact, during the lawn tennis season the 
mowing-machine should be set as low as possible 
without actually scraping the ground. 

All weeds must be absolutely rooted out when- 
ever and wherever they appear ; if care is taken to 
make a clean sweep of them at first, it will not be 
much trouble to keep the court free of them in the 
future. 

During a dry summer the court will need con- 
stant watering. This should always be done in 
the evening when possible, but on dull days any 
convenient time will do. Personally I find the 
only way in dry weather to keep a court true on 
which there is a great deal of play is to water 
and roll every day. A water-ballast roller weigh- 
ing about a ton when full, is very handy for this 
purpose. 

At the end of the season you will probably find 
the base-lines will need returfing, and very likely 
one or two other spots on the court. The earlier 
this is done in the autumn the better. This is also 



150 LAWN TENNIS. 

a good time of year to give the court a top dress- 
ing; well-rolled short stable or farmyard manure 
is excellent for this purpose, or, in case this is 
not easily obtainable, most of our leading seeds- 
men advertise a special manure. 

In conclusion, let me once more point out to all 
lawn tennis players the absolute necessity of con- 
stantly using the roller and mowing-machine if 
they aspire to play on that most delightful of all 
courts, perfect turf. 



OTHER GAMES COMPARED. 151 



CHAPTER IX. 

HOW LAWN TENNIS COMPARES WITH SOME OTHER 
GAMES. 

By Eustace Miles. 

Lawn Tennis has sometimes been despised by 
players of Cricket, as if it were mild pat-ball, 
suited only for ladies. Perhaps the word "tame" 
may sum up the condemnation as well as any 
other word, as implying that Lawn Tennis is 
easy, gentle, monotonous. 

Now, however much our verdict on Lawn Ten- 
nis must depend on the way in which it happens 
to be played, one fact is clear and undeniable, 
and this is that Lawn Tennis is not easy. I sup- 
pose every game looks easy when it is played 
really well, because every stroke is timed and 
judged so smoothly and surely: Billiards and 



i52 LAWN TENNIS. 

Golf will serve as examples. But when you come 
to take up a racket and actually try to keep the 
ball within the side-lines and back-lines, and over 
the net — just over, or well over by a lob — you are 
struck by the need of accuracy and of restraint. 
In Racquets, Tennis, Fives, and Squash, there are 
the side- walls and back- walls to help ; in Cricket 
there are boundaries; but in Lawn Tennis you 
must keep the ball in. Let anyone who imagines 
that the play requires no skill, see his opponent, 
a safe volleyer, up at the net while he himself has 
to make a backhand stroke from the left-hand 
corner of the court furthest away from the net. 
What nicety is required to pass the man at the 
net! Attempt to pass him down the side or 
across the court, and you run the risk of hitting 
the ball out; attempt to lob over his head and 
you run this same risk or else the risk of giving 
him a certain smash. So far from calling the 
stroke easy, you almost call it impossible. And 
yet it is frequently brought off with success. 
Pace, direction, length, height, concealment, all 
are required. The game is not easy. 

Is it really gentle? Many spectators tell me 



OTHER GAMES COMPARED. 153 

that the modern strokes have lost the pace and 
severity that the Renshaws used to display. But 
apart from the fact that there are still some pro- 
digiously hard hitters — Smith in England and 
Davis in America. — one must never lose sight of 
two points : first, that the modern stroke is faster 
than it looks and sounds, being often to the 
bustling hard drive of former years what the ex- 
press is to the metropolitan engine; secondly, 
that to-day there is a control of pace, direction 
(particularly in the cross-court strokes), and 
length (the latter especially with American play- 
ers), such as few appreciate who have not per- 
sonally competed against it. When anyone tells 
me that the Dohertys hit softly, I know that he 
judges by the appearance of the stroke, forget- 
ting how much power and pace is imparted by the 
graceful body-swing and how much pace and 
spin is imparted by the overturn of the wrist. 
Lawn Tennis is neither easy nor slow. 

Is it monotonous? Some players make it very 
monotonous, as some players make Cricket very 
monotonous. But that is not the fault of the 
game, which allows wonderful variety of net-play 



154 LAWN TENNIS. 

or back-play, of passing or lobbing, and of tac- 
tics generally. Success may require patience and 
endurance, but sameness is not essential to suc- 
cess. 

As a social and, in recent years, an interna- 
tional influence Lawn Tennis compares favorably 
with Golf. All over the world these games bring 
different people and the two sexes together in the 
friendliest possible way, forming an incentive to 
new friendships as well as to travel and exercise. 
Whereas Cricket, Hockey, and Football require 
their teams, Lawn Tennis and Golf are content 
with twos or at the most with fours. And every- 
where Lawn Tennis tournament prizes and Golf 
medals attract players to come and play and talk 
together. If only Lawn Tennis had used handi- 
caps as regularly and as sensibly as Golf has, 
there would be less complaint that Lawn Tennis 
was no longer a game for all, but was becoming 
more and more a game for a few pot-hunters. 

Bufi Lawn Tennis has one very decided advan- 
tage over Golf. It demands prompt alertness 
and rapid recovery of poise. In Golf you can 
take time before your "stance" and after your 



OTHER GAMES COMPARED. 155 

stroke; in Lawn Tennis there is the same sort of 
choice between this or that stroke as at Golf, but 
you must decide quickly and act quickly, and 
again quickly be ready to decide quickly again. 
There is between the two strokes all the differ- 
ence between leisurely poise, then the use of 
force; and rapid poise, then the use of force, 
then rapid recovery of poise. 

But how little of this value, except the social 
value, is realized by the ordinary player ! He or 
she plays and plays and plays the same old game 
with the same old faults and follies, utterly ig- 
norant of what is utterly indispensable to style 
and tactics. I have had the pleasure of reading 
the manuscript of this book by our two greatest 
British exponents of style and tactics, and I am 
delighted to think that there is now no reason 
why beginners and others should continue in 
error. The illustrations and explanations allow 
of no excuse that such and such a point had not 
been grasped. It seems to me that if the advice 
offered by the Doherty brothers be carefully read 
and put into practice, the interest in Lawn Ten- 
nis will revive in England as markedly as it has 



156 LAWN TENNIS. 

revived in America, and we as a nation shall 
profit largely by play which ordinarily demands 
little time, less strain, no risk, but encourages 
thought, social intercourse, and healthy outdoor 
exercise, sufficiently interesting to be worth while 
for its own sake apart from prizes. 

A help towards the spread of Lawn Tennis 
would be its adoption in Public schools. I can- 
not believe that it would interfere with Cricket: 
in American schools like Groton it does not in- 
terfere with Baseball. There are too many boys 
to whom Cricket, as played at present, affords 
neither pleasure nor exercise. Lawn Tennis, 
properly taught, would be likely to satisfy both 
needs. 



CHAMPIONS. 



157 



CHAPTER X. 



LIST OF CHAMPIONS, RULES AND REGULATIONS, ETC. 



I. COVERED COURT CHAMPIONSHIPS. 
ENGLAND. 



1885 


H. F. Lawford 


1894 


H. S. Mahony 


1886 


E. L. Williams 


1895 


E. W. Lewis 


1887 


E. W. Lewis 


1896 


E. W. Lewis 


1888 


E. W. Lewis 


1897 


W. V. Eaves 


1889 


E. W. Lewis 


1898 


W. V. Eaves 


1890 


E. W. Lewis 


1899 


W. V. Eaves 


1891 


E. W. Lewis 


1900 


A. W. Gore 


1892 


E. G. Meers 


1901 


H. L. Doherty 


1893 


H, S. Mahony 


1902 


H. L. Doherty 




1903 H 
Lady Ci 


L. Doherty 

IAMPIONS. 


1890 


Miss Jacks 


1892 


Miss M. Shackle 


1891 


Miss M. Shackle 


1893 


Miss M. Shackle 



158 



LAWN TENNIS. 



1894 Miss Austin 

1895 Miss C. Cooper 

1896 Miss Austin 

1897 Miss Austin 

1898 Miss Austin 



1899 Miss Austin 

1900 Miss T. Lowther 

1901 Mrs. Hillyard 

1902 Miss T. Lowther 

1903 Miss T. Lowther 



Doubles Champions. 

1890 G. W. Hillyard and H. S. Scrivener 

1891 G. W. Hillyard and H. S. Scrivener 

1892 E. G. Meers and H. S. Mahony 

1893 E. G. Meers and H. S. Mahony 

1894 E. G. Meers and H. S. Mahony 

1895 W. V. Eaves and C. H. Martin 

1896 W. V. Eaves and C. H. Martin 

1897 H. A. Msbet and G. Greville 

1898 R. F. Doherty and H. L. Doherty 

1899 R. F. Doherty and H. L. Doherty 

1900 R. F. Doherty and H. L. Doherty 

1901 R. F. Doherty and H. L. Doherty 

1902 R. F. Doherty and H. L. Doherty 

1903 R. F. Doherty and H. L. Doherty 



Mixed Doubles Champions. 

1898 R. F. Doherty and Miss C. Cooper 

1899 R. F. Doherty and Miss C. Cooper 

1900 R. F. Doherty and Miss C. Cooper 





CHAMPIONS. 159 


1901 G. W. Hillyard and Mrs. Hillyard 


1902 H. L. Doherty and Miss T. Lowther 


1903 H. L. Doherty and Miss T. Lowther 




WALES. 




Champions. 


1893 


J. H. Crispe 


1898 H. S. Mahony 


1894 


W. S. N. Heard 


1899 G. A. Caridia 


1895 


E. F. Doherty 


1900 G. A. Caridia 


1896 


R. F. Doherty 


1901 G. A. Caridia 


1897 


R. F. Doherty 


1902 G. A. Caridia 




Lady Champions. 


1896 


Mrs. Pickering 


1899 Miss M. E. Robb 


1897 


Miss Dyas 


1900 Miss M. E. Robb 


1898 


Miss Dyas 


1901 Miss M. E. Robb 




1902 Miss L. Clarke 




FRANCE. 




Champions. 


1895 


A. Vacherot 


1899 M. J. G. Ritchie 


1896 


M. F. Goodbody 


1900 G. A. Caridia 


1897 


M. F. Goodbody 


1901 G. M. Simond 


1898 


G. M. Simond 


1902 M. J. G. Ritchie 




1903 M. 


Decugis 



160 LAWN TENNIS. 

Lady Champions. 
1897 Mile. Hassan 1 1898-1903 [No competition] 

Doubles Champions. 

1901 G. M. Simond and G. A. Caridia 

1902 G. M. Simond and G. A. Caridia 

UNITED STATES. 
Champions. 



1898 L. E. Ware 

1899 L. E. Ware 

1900 L. E. Ware 



1901 H. Ward 

1902 J. P. Paret 

1903 W. C. Grant 



Doubles Champions. 

1902 W. C. Grant and Le Roy 

1903 W. C. Grant and Le Roy 

STOCKHOLM. 

Open Swedes only 

1900 J. M. Flavelle . . 1900 G. Settervall 

1901 F. W. Payn . . . 1901 G. Settervall 



CHAMPIONS. 



161 



OXFORD v. CAMBRIDGE. 



Cambridge 

it 



1881 

1882 
1883 
1884 
1885 
1886 
1887 
1888 



* 1889 A draw 



Oxford won by 14 matches to 4 



13 
12 
15 
12 
16 



1890 



1891 



A draw. Nine matches all 
Abandoned after one hour's play 
f Cambridge 12 matches 

T J 

1 Oxford 5 

Cambridge won by 11 matches to 7 

{Cambridge 11 matches 
Oxford 7 " 



1892 


Cambridge w 7 on 


by 17 matches to 1 


1893 


u 


12 ' 


' 6 


1894 


a 


12 < 


< 6 


1895 


a 


17 * 


' 1 


1896 


a 


18 < 


< 


1897 


a 


13 < 


< 5 


1898 


a 


10 < 


< 8 



* These matches were apparently counted as drawn by ar- 
rangement. By the ordinary method of scoring in matches, 
Cambridge won on each occasion. 



162 LAWN TENNIS. 

1899 
Played at Queen's Club on June 31 and July 1. 

Singles. 

Oxford won by 6 matches to 3. 

Teams. — Oxford: P. G. Pearson, H. K. Fussell, 
and A. N. Dudley. Cambridge: A. M. Maekay, 
N. J. Waller, and M. F. Day. 

Doubles. 

Cambridge won by 5 matches to 4. 

Teams. — Cambridge : A. M. Maekay and M. F. 
Day; N. J. Waller and D. G. Fry; G. C. Glenny 
and A. C. Hudson. Oxford: P. G. Pearson and 
H. R. Fussell; B. Wood-Hill and W. Horton; 
A. N. Dudley and G. L. W. Hill. 

Result. — Oxford won by 10 matches to 8. 

1900. 
Played at Queen's Club on July 3 and 4. 

Singles. 

Oxford won by 5 matches to 4. 

Teams. — Oxford : P. G. Pearson, H. R. Fussell, 
and B. Wood-Hill. Cambridge: G. C. Glenny, 
D. G. Fry, and F. Salzmann. 



CHAMPIONS. 163 

Doubles. 

Cambridge won by 5 matches to 4. 

Teams. — Cambridge: G. 0. Glenny and D. G. 
Fry ; F. Salzmann and T. A. Cock ; G. E. Sunder- 
land Taylor and S. M. Porter. Oxford: P. G. 
Pearson and B. Wood-Hill; H. R. Fussell and 
C. F. Ryder; H. Plaskitt and T. D. Rudkin. 

Result. — A draw; 9 matches all. 

1901. 
Played at Queen's Club on July 3 and 4. 

Singles. 

Oxford won by 5 matches to 4. 

Teams. — Oxford: P. G. Pearson, W. C. Craw- 
ley, and H. Plaskitt. Cambridge: D. G. Fry, F. 
Salzmann, and F. W. Argyle. 

1 Doubles. 

Oxford won by 6 matches to 3. 

Teams. — Oxford: P. G. Pearson and H. Plas- 
kitt; W. C. Crawley and P. T. Oyler; B. Wood- 
Hill and C. F. Ryder. Cambridge : D. C. Fry and 
F. Salzmann; F. W. Argyle and J. C. Fisher; 
J. R. L. Mcholls and E. Wells. 

Result. — Oxford won by 11 matches to 7. 



164 



LAWN TENNIS. 



Summary. — Of 21 competitions Cambridge 
has won 11 and Oxford 5. Four have been 
drawn, and one (1888) was abandoned after an 
hour's play. In Singles Cambridge has won 108 
matches as against 71 to Oxford, and in Doubles 
Cambridge has won 117 matches to Oxford's 62. 
Total matches : Cambridge, 225 ; Oxford, 133. 





II. LIST OF CHAMPIONS. 




ENGLAND. 






Champions. 




1877 


S. W. Gore 


1890 


W. J. Hamilton 


1878 


P. F. Hadow 


1891 


W. Baddeley 


1879 


J. T. Hartley 


1892 


W. Baddeley 


1880 


J. T. Hartley 


1893 


J. Pirn 


1881 


W. Renshaw 


1894 


J. Pirn 


1882 


W. Renshaw 


1895 


W. Baddeley 


1883 


W. Renshaw 


1896 


H. S. Mahony 


1884 


W. Renshaw 


1897 


R. F. Doherty 


1885 


W. Renshaw 


1898 


R. F. Doherty 


1886 


W. Renshaw 


1899 


R. F. Doherty 


1887 


H. F. Lawford 


1900 


R. F. Doherty 


1888 


E. Renshaw 


1901 


A. W. Gore 


1889 


W. Renshaw 


1902 


H. L. Doherty 




1903 B 


[. L. Doh( 


arty 



CHAMPIONS. 



165 



All Comers' Singles. 



Winner 

1877 S. W. Gore 

1878 P. F. Hadow 

1879 J. T. Hartley 

1880 H. F. Lawford 

1881 W. Renshaw 

1882 E. Renshaw 

1883 E. Renshaw 

1884 H. F. Lawford 

1885 H. F. Lawford 

1886 H. F. Lawford 

1887 H. F. Lawford 

1888 E. Renshaw 

1889 W. Renshaw 

1890 W. J. Hamilton 

1891 W. Baddeley 

1892 J. Pim 

1893 J. Pirn 

1894 W. Baddeley 

1895 W. Baddeley 

1896 H. S. Mahony 

1897 R. F. Doherty 

1898 H. L. Doherty 

1899 A. W. Gore 

1900 S. H. Smith 

1901 A. W. Gore 



Second 

iW. Marshall 
iW. Erskine 
|V. "St. Leger" 
fO. E. Woodhouse 
R. T. Richardson 
R. T. Richardson 

D. Stewart 

C. W. Grinstead 

E. Renshaw 
E. W. Lewis 
E. Renshaw 
E. W. Lewis 
H. S. Barlow 
H. S. Barlow 
J. Pim 

E. W. Lewis 
H. S. Mahony 
E. W. Lewis 
W. V. Eaves 
W. V. Eaves 
W. V. Eaves 
H. S. Mahony 
S. H. Smith 
A. W. Gore 
C. P. Dickson 



1 66 LAWN TENNIS. 

All Comers' Singles — Continued. 

1902 H. L. Doherty . . M. J. Kitchie 

1903 F. L. Riseley . . M. J. Ritchie 

Lady Champions. 

1884 Miss Maud Watson 

1885 Miss Maud Watson 

1886 Miss Bingley 

1887 Miss L. Dod 

1888 Miss L. Dod 

1889 Mrs. Hillyard 

1890 Miss Pace 

1891 Miss Dod 

1892 Miss Dod 

1893 Miss Dod 

1894 Mrs. Hillyard 

1895 Miss C. Cooper 

1896 Miss C. Cooper 

1897 Mrs. Hillyard 

1898 Miss C. Cooper 

1899 Mrs. Hillyard 

1900 Mrs. Hillyard 

1901 Mrs. Sterry 

1902 Miss Robb 

1903 Miss Douglass 



CHAMPIONS. 167 

Doubles Champions. 

1879 L. R. Erskine and H. F. Lawford 

1880 W. Renshaw and E. Renshaw 

1881 W. Renshaw and E. Renshaw 

1882 J. T. Hartley and R. T. Richardson 

1883 C. W. Grinstead and C. D. Weldon 

1884 W. Renshaw and E. Renshaw 

1885 W. Renshaw and E. Renshaw 

1886 W. Renshaw and E. Renshaw 

1887 P. B. Lyon and H. W. W. Wilberforce 

1888 W. Renshaw and E. Renshaw 

1889 W. Renshaw and E. Renshaw 

1890 J. Pirn and F. O. Stoker 

1891 W. Baddeley and H. Baddeley 
1893 J. Pirn and F. O. Stoker 

1893 J. Pirn and F. O. Stoker 

1894 W. Baddeley and H. Baddeley 

1895 W. Baddeley and H. Baddeley 

1896 W. Baddeley and H. Baddeley 

1897 R. F. Doherty and H. L. Doherty 

1898 R. F. Doherty and H. L. Doherty 

1899 R. F. Doherty and H. L. Doherty 

1900 R. F. Doherty and H. L. Doherty 

1901 R. F. Doherty and H. L. Doherty 

1902 S. H. Smith and F. L. Riseley 

1903 R. F. Doherty and H. L. Doherty 



1 68 LAWN TENNIS. 

Mixed Doubles Champions. 

1888 E. Renshaw and Mrs. Hillyard 

1889 J. C. Kay and Miss L. Dod 

1890 J. Baldwin and Miss K. Hill 

1891 J. C. Kay and Miss Jackson 

1892 A. Dod and Miss Dod 

1893 W. Baddeley and Mrs. Hillyard 

1894 H. S. Mahony and Miss C. Cooper 

1895 H. S. Mahony and Miss C. Cooper 

1896 H. S. Mahony and Miss C. Cooper 

1897 H. S. Mahony and Miss C. Cooper 

1898 H. S. Mahony and Miss C. Cooper 

1899 C. H. L. Cazalet and Miss M. E. Robb 

1900 H. L. Doherty and Miss C. Cooper 

1901 S. H. Smith and Miss Martin 

1902 S. H. Smith and Miss Martin 

Ladies' Doubles Champions. 

1885 Mrs. Watts and Miss Brace-well 

1886 Miss L. Dod and Miss M. Langrishe 

1887 Miss L. Dod and Miss M. Langrishe 

1888 Miss L. Dod and Miss M. Langrishe 

1889 Miss M. Steedman and Miss B. Steedman 

1890 Miss M. Steedman and Miss B. Steedman 

1891 Miss L. Marriott and Miss M. Marriott 

1892 Miss Jackson and Miss Crofton 



CHAMPIONS. 



169 



1893 Mrs. Hillyard and Miss Steedman 

1894 Mrs, Hillyard and Miss Steedman 

1895 Mrs. Hillyard and Miss Steedman 

1896 Mrs. Hillyard and Miss Steedman 

1897 Mrs, Hillyard and Mrs. Pickering 

1898 Miss Steedman and Miss R. Dyas 

1899 Mrs. Durlacher and Miss Steedman 

1900 Mrs, Pickering and Miss Robb 

1901 Mrs. Pickering and Miss Robb 

1902 Mrs. Pickering and Miss Robb 





IRELAND. 






Gentlemen's Singles. 


1879 


V. "St, Leger" 


1891 


E. W. Lewis 


1880 


W. Renshaw 


1892 


E. Renshaw 


1881 


W. Renshaw 


1893 


J. Pirn 


1882 


W. Renshaw 


1894 


J. Pirn 


1883 


E. Renshaw 


1895 


J. Pirn 


1884 


H. F. Lawford 


1896 


W. Baddeley 


1885 


H. F. Lawford 


1897 


W. V. Eaves 


1886 


H. F. Lawford 


1898 


H. S. Mahony 


1887 


E. Renshaw 


1899 


R. F. Doherty 


1888 


E. Renshaw 


1900 


R. F. Doherty 


1889 


W. J. Hamilton 


1901 


R. F. Doherty 


1890 


E. W. Lewis 


1902 


H. L. Doherty 



170 



LAWN TENNIS. 





Ladies' Singles. 




1879 


Miss M. Langrishe 


1891 


Miss Martin 


1880 


Miss Meldon 


1892 


Miss Martin 


1881 


[No competition] 


1893 


Miss Stanuell 


1882 


Miss Abercronibie 


1894 


Mrs. Hillyard 


1883 


Miss M. Langrishe 


1895 


Miss C. Cooper 


1884 


Miss M. Watson 


1896 


Miss Martin 


1885 


Miss M. Watson 


1897 


Mrs. Hillyard 


1886 


Miss M. Langrishe 


1898 


Miss C. Cooper 


1887 


Miss L. Dod 


1899 


Miss Martin 


1888 


Mrs. Hillyard 


1900 


Miss Martin 


1889 


Miss Martin 


1901 


M?ss Robb 


1890 


Miss Martin 


1902 


Miss Martin 



Gentlemen's Doubles. 



1879 J. Elliott and H. Kellie 

1880 H. F. Lawford and A. J. Mulholland 

1881 W. Renshaw and E. Renshaw 

1882 E. de S. Browne and P. Aungier 

1883 W. Renshaw and E. Renshaw 

1884 W. Renshaw and E. Renshaw 

1885 W. Renshaw and E. Renshaw 

1886 W. J. Hamilton and H. K. McKay 

1887 W. J. Hamilton and T. S. Campion 

1888 W. J. Hamilton and T. S. Campion 

1889 E. W. Lewis and G. W. Hillyard 



CHAMPIONS. 171 

1890 J. Pirn and F. O. Stoker 

1891 J. Pirn and F. O. Stoker 

1892 E. W. Lewis and E. G. Meers 

1893 J. Pini and F. O. Stoker 

1894 J. Pirn and F. O. Stoker 

1895 J. Pirn and F. O. Stoker 

1896 W. Baddeley and H. Baddeley 

1897 W. Baddeley and H. Baddeley 

1898 R. F. Doherty and H. L. Doherty 

1899 R. F. Doherty and H. L. Doherty 

1900 R. F. Doherty and H. L. Doherty 

1901 R. F. Doherty and H. L. Doherty 

1902 R. F. Doherty and H. L. Doherty 

Mixed Doubles. 

1879 J. Elliott and Miss Costello 

1880 S. D. Maul and Miss Costello 

1881 W. Renshaw and Miss Abercrombie 

1882 E. de S. Browne and Miss Perry 

1883 E. de S. Browne and Miss M. Langrishe 

1884 W. Renshaw and Miss M. Watson 

1885 W. Renshaw and Miss M. Watson 

1886 E. Chatterton and Miss M. Langrishe 

1887 E. Renshaw and Miss L. Dod 

1888 E. W. Lewis and Miss Bracewell 

1889 W. J. Hamilton and Miss Rice 

1890 D. G. Chaytor and Miss Martin 

1891 D. G. Chaytor and Miss Martin 



172 LAWN TENNIS. 

Mixed Doubles — Continued. 

1892 D. G. Chaytor and Miss Martin 

1893 M. F. Goodbody and Miss E. C. Pinckney 

1894 G. W. Hillyard and Mrs. Hillyard 

1895 H. S. Mahony and Miss C. Cooper 

1896 H. S. Mahony and Miss C. Cooper 

1897 G. Greville and Mrs. Hillyard 

1898 H. A. Nisbet and Miss R. Dyas 

1899 E. F. Doherty and Miss C. Cooper 

1900 R. F. Doherty and Miss C. Cooper 

1901 H. L. Doherty and Mrs. Durlacher 

1902 H. L. Doherty and Mrs. Durlacher 

Ladies' Doubles. 

1884 Miss Langrishe and Miss M. Langrishe 

1885 Miss Watson and Miss M. Watson 

1886 Miss Butler and Miss L. Martin 

1887 Miss Martin and Miss Stanuell 

1888 Miss M. Steedman and Miss B. Steedman 

1889 Miss Martin and Miss Stanuell 

1890 Miss Martin and Miss Stanuell 

1891 Miss Martin and Miss Stanuell 

1892 Miss Dod and Miss Steedman 

1893 Miss Corder and Miss Shaw 

1894 Mrs. Hillyard and Miss Snook 

1895 Miss Cooper and Miss C. Cooper 

1896 Mrs. Pickering and Miss Dyas 



CHAMPIONS. 173 

1897 Mrs. Hillyard and Miss C. Cooper 

1898 Miss L. Martin and Miss R. Dyas 

1899 Mrs. Durlacher and Miss Martin 

1900 Miss 0. Cooper and Miss E. Cooper 

1901 Mrs. Durlacher and Miss Martin 

1902 Mrs. Durlacher and Miss Hazlett 





SCOTLAND. 


Gentlemen's Singles. 


1878 


J. Patten 


1879 


L. M. Balfour 


1880 


J. Patten 


1881 


J. G. Horn 


1882 


J. G. Horn 


1883 


J. G. Horn 


1884 


R. Gamble 


1885 


P. B. Lyon 


1886 


P. B. Lyon 


1887 


H. Grove 


1888 


P. B. Lyon 


1889 


E. de S. H. Browne 


1890 


E. de S. H. Browne 


1891 


E. de S. H. Browne 


1892 


A. W. Gore 


1893 


A. W. Gore 


1894 


R. M. Watson 



174 



LAWN TENNIS. 





Gentlemen's Singles — Continued. 




1895 R. F 


Doherty 




1896 R. F 


Doherty 




1897 R. F 


. Doherty 




1898 H. L 


. Doherty 




1899 E. D 


. Black 




1900 C. R 


. D. Pritchett 




1901 W. V. Eaves 




1902 F. L 


. Riseley 




Ladies 


' Singles. 


1886 


Miss Boulton 


1894 Miss L. Paterson 


1887 


Miss Butler 


1895 Miss L. Paterson 


1888 


Miss Butler 


1896 Miss L. Paterson 


1889 


Miss Butler 


1897 Miss Hunter 


1890 


Miss Jackson 


1898 Mrs. O'Neill 


1891 


Miss Jackson 


1899 Miss C. Cooper 


1892 


Miss Jackson 


1900 Miss Hunter 


1893 


Miss Corder 


1901 Miss Robb 




Gentlemi 


3N's Doubles. 


1878 


A. G. Murray a 


nd C. C. Maconochie 


1879 


A. G. Murray a 


nd C. C. Maconochie 


1880 


A. G. Murray a 


nd C. G. Maconochie 


1881 


J. G. Horn and 


W. Horn 


1882 


C. B. Russell ai 


id M. G. Lascelles 



CHAMPIONS. 175 

1883 , F. A. Fairlie and A. L. Davidson 

1884 P. B. Lyon and H. B. Lyon 

1885 E. W. Lewis and B. M. Watson 

1886 P. B. Lyon and H. B. Lyon 

1887 P. B. Lyon and H. B. Lyon 

1888 P. B. Lyon and H. B. Lyon 

1889 A. Thomson and J. H. Conyers 

1890 E. de S. H. Browne and J. G. Horn 

1891 R. M. Watson and E. B. Fuller 

1892 H. G. Nadin and H. E. Caldecott 

1893 A. W. Gore and R. M. Watson 

1894 R. M. Watson and H. G. Nadin 

1895 C. H. Martin and S. L. Bathurst 

1896 E. R, Allen and C. G. Allen 

1897 R. F. Doherty and H. L. Doherty 

1898 R. F. Doherty and H. L. Doherty 

1899 E. D. Black and C. Hobart 

1900 0. R. D. Pritchett and A. W. McGregor 

1901 W. V. Eaves and E. D. Black 

1902 O. R. D. Pritchett and A. W. McGregor 

WALES. 

Gentlemen's Singles. 

1886 E. de S. H. Browne 

1887 E. de S. H. Browne 

1888 W. J. Hamilton 



i;6 LAWN TENNIS. 

Gentlemen's Singles — Continued. 

1889 W. J. Hamilton 

1890 W. J. Hamilton 

1891 H. S. Barlow 

1892 H. S. Barlow 

1893 G. Ball-Greene 

1894 G. C. Ball-Greene 

1895 W. V. Eaves 

1896 [No competition] 

1897 S. H. Smith 

1898 S. H. Smith 

1899 S. H. Smith 

1900 S. H. Smith 

1901 S. H. Smith 

1902 S. H. Smith 

Ladies' Singles. 

1887 Miss M. Watson 

1888 Miss Hillyard 

1889 Mrs. Pope 

1890 [No competition] 

1891 Miss Pope 

1892 Miss M. Sweet-Escott 

1893 Miss Cochrane 

1894 Miss Jackson 

1895 Miss Corder 



CHAMPIONS. 



itf 



1896 [No competition] 

1897 Miss H. Ridding 

1898 Miss A. E. Parr 

1899 Miss M. E. Robb 

1900 Miss C. Hill 

1901 Miss W. A. Longhurst 

UNITED STATES. 
Gentlemen's Singles. 



1881 


R. D. Sears 


1892 


O. S. Campbell 


1882 


R. D. Sears 


1893 


R. D. Wrenn 


1883 


R. D. Sears 


1894 


R, D. Wrenn 


1884 


R. D. Sears 


1895 


F. H. Hovey 


1885 


R. D. Sears 


1896 


R. D. Wrenn 


1886 


R, D. Sears 


1897 


R. D. Wrenn 


1887 


R. D. Sears 


1898 


M. D. Whitman 


1888 


H. W. Slocum 


1899 


M. D. Whitman 


1889 


H. W. Slocum 


1900 


M. D. Whitman 


1890 


0. S. Campbell 


1901 


W. A. Lamed 


1891 


O. S. Campbell 


1902 


W. A. Lamed 



Gentlemen's Doubles. 



1881 C. M. Clark and F. W. Taylor 
1S82 R. D. Sears and James Dwight 
1883 R. D. Sears and James Dwight 



178 LAWN TENNIS. 

Gentlemen's Doubles — Continued. 

1884 R. D. Sears and James Dwight 

1885 R. D. Sears and J. S. Clark 

1886 R. D. Sears and James Dwight 

1887 R. D. Sears and James Dwight 

1888 O. S. Campbell and V. G. Hall 

1889 H. W. Slocum and H. A. Taylor 

1890 V. G. Hall and C. Hobart 

1891 O. S. Campbell and R. P. Huntingdon, Jr. 

1892 O. S. Campbell and R. P. Huntingdon, Jr. 

1893 C. Hobart and F. H. Hovey 

1894 C. Hobart and F. H. Hovey 

1895 M. G. Chase and R. D. Wrenn 

1896 C. B. Neel and S. R. Neel 

1897 L. E. Ware and G. P. Sheldon 

1898 L. E. Ware and G. P. Sheldon 

1899 H. Ward and D. F. Davis 

1900 H. Ward and D. F. Davis 

1901 H. Ward and D. F. Davis 

1902 R. F. Doherty and H. L. Doherty 

Ladies' Singles. 

1887 Miss N. F. Hansell 

1888 Miss B. Townsend 

1889 Miss B. Townsend 

1890 Miss E. C. Roosevelt 



CHAMPIONS. 179 





1891 


Miss M. E. Cahill 




1892 


Miss M. E. Cahill 




1893 


Miss A. M. Terry 




1894 


Miss H. Helwig 




1895 


Miss J. Atkinson 




1896 


Miss B. Moore 




1897 


Miss J. Atkinson 




1898 


Miss J. Atkinson 




1899 


Miss Marion Jones 




1900 


Miss McAteer 




1901 


Miss B. Moore 




1902 


Miss M. Jones 

CANADA. 
Champion. 


1897 


L. E. Ware 


1899 M. D. Whitman 


1898 


L. E. W 


are 


1900 M. D. Whitman 



Lady Champion. 

1898 Miss J. Atkinson 

1899 Miss V. Summerhayes 

1900 Miss V. Summerhayes 



i8o 



LAWN TENNIS. 



VICTORIA. 



1897 

1898 
1898 



Champion. 
A. Kearney 
A. Kearney 
A. Dunlop 
A. Dunlop 



Lady Champion. 

1898 Miss P. Howitt 

1899 Miss P. Howitt 

1902 Miss Gyton 



NEW 80V TH WALES. 





Champion. 


Lady Champion. 


1897 


C. Curtis 


1897 


Miss P. Howitt 


1898 


H. Crossmann 


1898 


Miss P. Howitt 


1899 


A. Kearney 


1899 


Miss P. Howitt 


1900 


— Rice 


1900 


Miss Payten 


1901 


A. Kearney 


1901 


Miss Payten 


1902 


W. V. Eaves 


1902 


Miss Payten 




NATAL. 






Champion. 


Lady Champion. 


1896 


H. Miller 


1896 


Miss N. Hickman 


1898 


C. E. Finlason 


1898 


Miss N. Hickman 


1899 


G. C. Collins 


1899 


Miss N. Hickman 


1900 


G. C. Collins 


1900 


Miss N. Hickman 


1901 


G. C. Collins 






1902 


G. C. Collins 


1902 


Miss N. Hickman 



CHAMPIONS. 
SOUTH AFRICA. 



181 





Champion. 


Lady Champion. 


1897 


L. Giddy . . 


1897 


Miss N. Hickman 


1899 


L. G. Heard 


1899 


Miss N. Hickman 


1902 


C. Heath . . . 


1902 


Miss N. Hickman 




EUROPE. 






Champion. 




1899 


H. S. Mahony 


I 1901 


M. Decugis 


1900 


M. J. G. Ritchie 


1 1902 


H. L. Doherty 




GERMANY. 






Champion. 


Lady Champion. 


1897 


G. W. Hillyard 


1897 


Mrs. Hillyard 


1898 


H. S. Mahony 


1898 


Miss Lane 


1899 


C. Hobart 


1899 


Miss C. Cooper 


1900 


C. W. Hillyard 


1900 


Mrs. Hillyard 


1901 


Max Decugis 


1901 


Miss T. Lowther 



1902 Max Decugis 1902 Miss M. Ross 



Champion of the Germans. 



1896 Count V. Voss 

1897 G. Wantzelius 

1898 CountV. Voss 



1899 Count V. Voss 

1900 V. von Muller 

1901 H. von Schneider 



182 



LAWN TENNIS. 





AUSTRIA. 




Champion. 


Lady Champion. 


1896 


H. Guy 




1897 


H. Dering 


* 


1898 


J. Andre' 




1899 


H. Dering . . 


1899 Frl. B. Kaiser 


1900 


M, J. G. Ritchie 


1900 Frl. B. Kaiser 


1901 


M. J. G. Ritchie 


1901 Miss Lane 




BELGIUM. 



Champion. 

1900 H. Roper Barrett 

1901 H. Roper Barrett 



Lady Champion. 

1900 Mme. Trasenter 

1901 Mme. Trasenter 



Champion op the Belgians. 

1900 P. de Borman 1901 

1901 W. Lemaire de Warzee 

1902 P. de Borman 



Lady Champion. 
Mme. Comblen 



PRUSSIA. 
Champion. 



1896 Dr. W. Bonne 

1897 Lieut. Bencard 

1898 J. Andr6 



1899 A. von Gordon 

1900 A. W. Schmitz 

1901 A. W. Schmitz 



CHAMPIONS. 183 

TEE NETHERLANDS. 
Champion. 

1899 K. W. A. Beukema I 1900 J. M. Flavelle 
1901 J. M. Flavelle 

SWITZERLAND. 





Champion. 


Lady Champion. 


1898 


R. B. Hough 




1899 


G. M. Simond . 1899 Miss Brooksmith 


1900 


E. K. Harvey . 1900 Miss Brooksmith 


1901 


M. Harran . . 1901 Miss Brooksmith 




Champion of 


the Swiss. 


1898 


A. Bovet 


1900 G. Patry 


1899 


Dr. de Trey 


1901 G. Patry 



184 



LAWN TENNIS. 



I 



HOW-TO MARK OUT A COURT 
G 







/ 








yS 




>s^ 




33 


rt \^ 



8 



As a double court practically includes every 
line to be found in a, single court, it is best to 
first take the measurement for the latter. Hav- 
ing determined the position of your net, plant 
in the ground in the line chosen two pegs, 27 
feet apart (at the points A and B in the dia- 
gram). Then take two measures and attach 
their respective ends to the pegs A and B. On 



HOW TO MARK OUT A COURT. 185 

the first, which will measure the diagonal of the 
court, take a length of 47 feet 5 inches, on the 
other 39 feet; pull both taut in such directions 
that at these distances they meet in a point C. 
This will give one corner of the court. At the 
point P, 21 feet from B, put in a peg to mark 
the end of the service-line. The other corner D, 
and the other end of the service-line G, may be 
found by interchanging the measures and re- 
peating the process. The same measurements on 
the other side of the net will complete the ex- 
terior boundaries of the court. By prolonging 
the base-lines 4 feet 6 inches in each direction 
and joining the four new points thus obtained, 
we can make the side-lines of a double court. It 
only remains to make the central-line. This 
is done by joining the middle points of 
the service-lines. If a double court alone is re- 
quired, the interior side-lines need not be pro- 
longed to meet the base-lines. Remember that 
in all cases the net posts must stand at a dis- 
tance of 3 feet from the side-lines, and therefore 
that if a single game is to be played in a dou- 
ble court, the net (unless the posts are shifted 



186 LAWN TENNIS. 

and a single-court net is used) should be stayed 
up to the right height by means of subsidiary 
posts placed at a distance of 3 feet from the sin- 
gle court side-lines. Special posts for this pur- 
pose, usually known as ^single posts," which 
can be quickly set up and removed, are obtain- 
able from all makers of lawn tennis implements. 



CHAMPIONSHIP REGULATIONS. 187 



REGULATIONS FOR THE INTERNA- 
TIONAL LAWN TENNIS CHAM- 
PIONSHIP. 

I. The competition shall be called "TEe In- 
ternational Lawn Tennis Championship," and 
shall be open to any nation which has a recog- 
nized lawn tennis association, and for the pur- 
poses of these regulations, Australia with New 
Zealand, Austria, Belgium, the British Isles, 
British South Africa, Canada, Prance, Germany, 
Holland, India, Sweden and Norway, Switzer- 
land, and the United States of America shall be 
regarded as separate nations. The competition 
shall take place in accordance with the following 
regulations and, except in so far as may be 
agreed upon by the unanimous consent of the 
competing nations for their own tie, with the 
laws and regulations of the game for the time 



188 LAWN TENNIS. 

being sanctioned by the nation in whose country 
the challenge tie shall from time to time be 
played. 

2. The management of the competition shall 
be entrusted to a committee appointed annually 
by the lawn tennis association of the champion 
nation. When gate-money shall be taken, one- 
half of the profit shall belong to the visiting na- 
tion; or, in the case of a tie being played on 
neutral ground, one-third each to the visiting 
nation. 

3. For the year 1900 the challenge tie shall be 
played in the United States of America, but in 
subsequent years in the country of the champion 
nation at a date and upon a ground to be agreed 
upon by common consent. In the event of an 
agreement not being arrived at, the fixing of the 
date and the ground shall be submitted to arbi- 
tration. Any nation wishing to compete shall 
give notice to the secretary of the lawn tennis 
association of the champion nation, so that it 
shall reach him not later than the first Monday in 
March of the year in which the competition is to 
take place. Should more than one nation chal- 



CHAMPIONSHIP REGULATIONS. 189 

lenge, they shall compete among themselves for 
the right to play in the challenge tie, at a date 
and upon a ground to be agreed upon by common 
consent. 

In the event of an agreement not being arrived 
at, the preliminary ties shall be played in the 
country of the champion nation at a date and 
upon a ground to be fixed upon by the committee 
of management. Should no challenge be received 
by the first Monday of March in the year in which 
the competition is to take place, or if such chal- 
lenge as may be received by that time be with- 
drawn, the first challenge received thereafter 
shall be a good challenge, provided it is received 
before the first day of May of said year. 

4. A player shall be qualified to represent a 
nation if he shall have been born in that nation, 
or shall have resided therein for at least two 
years immediately preceding a tie, providing 
always that he be a bona-fide amateur; but no 
one shall be entitled to play for more than one 
nation in this competition during the same year. 
During the time that a player may be qualifying 
to play for a nation under the residential quali- 



i 9 o LAWN TENNIS. 

fication, he may play for the nation for which he 
shall have last previously been qualified. 

5. A referee shall be appointed by common 
consent of the competing sides. He shall have 
power to appoint umpires, and shall decide any 
point of law which an umpire may profess him- 
self unable to decide, or which may be referred 
to him on appeal from the decision of an umpire 
by the players. He shall decide, if he be called 
upon to decide by the captain of either side, 
whether or not a match or matches shall be 
stopped owing to the state of the courts, the state 
of the weather, darkness, or other unavoidable 
hindrance. 

6. The players shall be chosen in the Single 
and Double contests by their respective captains 
from not more than four players nominated by 
the lawn tennis associations of the competing 
nations. Notice of such nomination shall be 
sent to the secretary of the lawn tennis associa- 
tion of the opposing nation not later than twenty- 
one days previous to the commencement of a 
tie, and in such a way that it shall reach him not 
later than seven days before the commencement 



CHAMPIONSHIP REGULATIONS. 191 

of play. Each tie shall be decided by the com- 
bined results of Singles and Doubles, and the 
side which shall win the majority of matches 
shall be the winner of a tie. Should four players 
be nominated, it shall at the same time be stated 
which are to take part in the Singles and which 
in the Doubles. 

7. The time of cessation of play shall be fixed 
before the commencement of each day's play by 
the captains of the opposing sides, or by the ref- 
eree if they shall disagree. It shall be the duty 
of the referee to stop play when this time arrives ; 
provided, nevertheless, that he may extend the 
time with the consent of the captains of the op- 
posing sides. A player shall not be called upon 
to play more than one match a day, except with 
the unanimous consent of the captains of the 
opposing sides and the committee of manage- 
ment. 

8. In the Singles each team shall consist of 
two players who shall play each against each of 
the opposing team the best of five advantage sets. 
The order of play shall be decided by lot. 

9. In the Doubles each team shall consist of 



i 9 2 LAWN TENNIS. 

two players, who shall play against the oppos- 
ing team the best of five advantage sets. 

10. In Singles and Doubles notice of the teams 
chosen shall be given to the captain of the op- 
posing side not later than twelve hours before the 
time fixed for the commencement of play in each 
contest. The order of play, as regards Singles 
and Doubles respectively, shall be decided by 
the committee of management and announced 
not later than twenty-four hours before such 
notice is due. 

11. If any player be absent when called upon 
to play by the referee, the opposing side shall be 
entitled to three love sets. Should, however, a 
player be incapacitated by illness, proved to the 
satisfaction of the referee, another member of 
the team can be substituted, provided the captain 
of the other team gives his consent. 

12. The above regulations shall be binding 
upon the nations concerned, and shall not be al- 
tered except with the consent of two-thirds of 
the associations whose nations shall have from 
time to time competed and who shall record their 
votes. 



CHAMPIONSHIP REGULATIONS. 193 

Note. — In the above regulations, one nation 
playing against another is regarded as a "tie"; 
Singles and Doubles are regarded as separate 
"contests," and the best of five advantage sets is 
regarded as a "match." The players in Singles 
and Doubles are regarded as separate "teams," 
and the players in the combined contests as a 
"side." 



i 9 4 LAWN TENNIS. 



REGULATIONS FOR THE MANAGEMENT 
OF LAWN TENNIS PRIZE-MEETINGS. 

1. At prize-meetings promoted by associations 
or clubs affiliated to the Lawn Tennis Associa- 
tion, the laws of lawn tennis for the time being 
sanctioned by the Lawn Tennis Association, and 
the regulations hereinafter contained, shall be 
observed. 

2. All details connected with any prize-meeting 
shall be settled by the committee of the club hold- 
ing the meeting, or by a committee specially ap- 
pointed for the purpose, of whom two, or such 
larger number as the committee shall determine, 
shall form a quorum. 

3. A circular shall be issued by the committee 
specifying the conditions of the competition (see 
Recommendation 5). 

4. No checks, orders for money, or cash pay- 
ments in any form shall be given as prizes, and 



PRIZE-MEETING REGULATIONS. 195 

the amount actually paid for each prize shall in 
no case be below the advertised value of the same. 

5. The committee shall elect a referee, with 
power to appoint a substitute to be approved by 
them. 

6. The referee, or such other member or mem- 
bers of the committee as may be selected for the 
purpose, shall have power to appoint umpires, 
and the referee shall decide any point of law 
which an umpire may profess himself unable to 
decide, or which may be referred to him on 
appeal from the decision of an umpire. 

7. The referee shall, during the meeting, be 
ex officio a member of the committee. 

8. The courts shall be allotted to the competi- 
tors, and the competitors shall be called upon to 
play, by a member or members of the committee, 
to be selected for the purpose, and in case of dis- 
agreement the committee shall decide. 

9. The committee shall help to keep order on 
the ground and shall consult and decide on any 
question arising out of the competition, if sum- 
moned for that purpose by the referee or by any 
two of their number ; and they shall have power, 



i 9 6 LAWN TENNIS. 

when so convened, the misconduct of a competi- 
tor having been reported to them by a member of 
the committee or an umpire, to disqualify the 
offender, and further to order him off the ground, 
should his misconduct appear to them to justify 
such action, but before such action shall be taken, 
an opportunity of offering an explanation shall 
be afforded to the competitor whose misconduct 
has been reported to them. 

10. It is the duty of an umpire — 

(a) To ascertain that the net is at the right 
height before the commencement of 
play, and to measure and adjust the net 
during play, if asked to do so, or if, in 
his opinion, its height has been altered, 
(&) To call the faults (subject to Regula- 
tion 11). 

(c) To call the strokes when won, or when 
he is asked to call them, and to record 
them on the umpire's scoring-sheet ; 

(d) To call the games and the sets at the 
end of each, or when asked to call them ; 
and to record them on the umpire's 
scoring-sheet; 



PRIZE-MEETING REGULATIONS. 197 

Example. — The strokes are scored by means of pencil marks 
in the spaces beneath tne word " Strokes," thus: 



S 


Initials 

of 

pkyer 


Strokes i 


Game 
won by 


| 

1 


AB 


I 


I 




I 




I 




I 












J 








AB 


! 


CD 






I 


I 


I 






J 














I 








1 


CD j 


I- 




I 


I 


. 


I 






I 


I 


I j 








J 


— 


CD 


AB ji 


! 






I 




I 


I 






I 


' 


- 


J 


J 





The scoring- sheet shows that in the first game the score ran, 
and would have been called, thus: "15 — love, 30 — love, 30 — 15> 
40 — 15, 40 — 30, game (AB)," in the second game, "love — 15, 
15 all, 15—30, 30 all, 40—30, deuce, advantage (CD), deuce, 
advantage (AD), deuce, advantage, (CD), game (CD)." 

The score of the server should be called first. 



Note. — At the end of each game the 
games should be called with the 
name of the player who is in ad- 
vance, thus : "two games to one, B 
wins," or, "B leads." If the games 
are level the score should be called 
thus, "three games all," or as the 
case may be. At the end of each 
set the sets should be called in like 
manner. 



198 LAWN TENNIS. 

(e) To direct competitors to change sides, 

in accordance with law 23 ; 
(/) When appealed to during a rest, 
whether a doubtful ball is "in play" or 
not, to call "play it out," and at the con- 
clusion of the rest, to give his decision 
(subject to Regulation 11) or direct the 
competitors to play the stroke again; 
(g) To decide all doubtful or disputed 
strokes, and all points of law (subject 
to Regulations 11 and 12) ; 
(h) In handicap matches to call the odds at 
the commencement of each game; 
[see p. 199.] 
(i) To sign the umpire's scoring-sheets, and 
to deliver them at the conclusion of the 
match to such person as the committee 
may authorize to receive them; 
Provided that no omission of any of the fore- 
going duties on the part of an umpire shall of 
itself invalidate a game or match. 

11. It is the duty of a line-umpire to call faults 
and to decide strokes relating to the line for 



PRIZE-MEETING REGULATIONS. 199 

In scoring handicap matches, the odds received should be 
marked by crosses on the right of the first perpendicular thick 
line before the commencement of each game, thus: 



Game 


Initials of players. . | Strokes 


Game 
won by 


,| 


AB 


+ 


















Tn 


1 


CD 
























'1 


CD 






















1 




1 


AB 


+ 


+ 






















•1 


AB 


+ 
























1 


CD 










*■ 
















4 . 


CD 










:; 














j 


AB 


+ 


+ 




















1 


1 
5 


AB 


+ 


■ 


- 














* 








CD 




























•1 


CD 




























1 


k , i A * 


* 


+ 
















H 







[Here A B is receiving 15 and three-sixths of 15. 



which he is appointed umpire, and to such line 
only. 

12. The decision of an umpire shall be final 



200 



LAWN TENNIS. 



upon every question of fact, and no competitor 
may appeal from it ; but if an umpire be in doubt 
as to a point of law, or if a competitor appeal 
against his decision on such a point, the umpire 
shall submit it to the referee, whose decision 
shall be final. 



When odds are owed, they should be marked on the left of 
the first perpendicular thick line, before the commencement 
of each game, thus: 




PRIZE-MEETING REGULATIONS. 201 



and crossed off one by one when the player owing wins a 
stroke, thus: 



Game j Initials of Players • 


Strokes 


Game I 
won by | 


t f 


f AB 


+ 


+ 










' l 






1 




CD 














I I 






j 




.1 


2 . 


CD 
























T 


1 1 


AB 




+ 




















j 


j J 


3 . 


AB 


+ 


+ 




















J 


1 J 


CD 






















T 


1 I 


4 • 


CD 




* 




















\\\ 


AB 




+ 


















1 f 1 


5 . 


A^B. 




+ 




















"1 


CD 
























I 


1 J 


1 6 


CD 




























A B 




+ 












| 













Here A B owes 15 and two-sixths of 15. 



13. The referee shall not bet on a match nor 
shall an umpire on a match in which he is acting, 
and if an objection for this or any other reason 
be made to a referee or umpire, either before or 
during the match, by a member of the committee 



202 LAWN TENNIS. 

or a competitor, the match, if begun, shall, if nec- 
essary, be at once stopped by the referee or two 
members of the committee, who shall take the 
opinion of the committee on the objection, and 
the committee) shall not be at liberty to vote on 
pend the referee or umpire so objected to, pro- 
vided that the decision of the majority of the 
committee present shall be final, and that the 
referee or umpire so objected to (if a member of 
the committee) shall not be at liberty to vote on 
the question. 

14. No competitor may transfer his entry to 
another player. 

15. Competitors shall have a right, by them- 
selves or their deputies, to be present at the draw. 

16. The draw shall be conducted in the fol- 
lowing manner: Each competitor's name shall 
be written on a separate card or paper, and these 
shall be placed in a bowl or hat, drawn out by 
one at random, and copied on a list in the order 
in which they have been drawn. 

17. When the number of competitors is 4, 8, 
16, 32, 64, or any higher power of 2, they shall 



PRIZE-MEETING REGULATIONS. 203 

meet in pairs, in accordance with the system 
shown by the following diagram : 



Fujst Round Second Round Thibd Round 

Al 

B1 






•Lt* 



18. When the number of competitors is not a 
power of 2, there shall be byes in the first round. 
The number of byes shall be equal to the differ- 
ence between the number of competitors and the 
next higher power of 2; and the number of pairs 
that shall meet in the first round shall be equal 
to the difference between the number of com- 
petitors and the next lower power of 2. The 
byes, if even in number, shall be divided, as the 
names are drawn, in equal proportions at the 
top and bottom of the list, above and below the 
pairs; if uneven in number, there shall be one 
more bye at the bottom than at the top. Thus, in 



2C4 LAWN TENNIS. 



Series 1. 

From 5 to 8 competitors. 

With 5, there will be 1 bye at the top and 2 
byes, at the bottom of the list, thus : 



—»^— ■ — i i iiii h i m iiii i ii i ii i — —ai— mi 

First Round Second Round Third Round' 

A (a bye) ..«,., A ] 



;ci B ' 

JD{abye) D' 

'E(abye) , S. 



With 6, there will be 1 bye at the top, and 1 bye 
at the bottom. 
With 7, 1 bye at the bottom. 
With 8, no byes. 



PRIZE-MEETING REGULATIONS. 205 

Series 2. 
From 9 to 16 competitors. 
With 9, 3 byes at the top, and 4 byes at the bot- 
tom, thus : 



First Round Second Round Third Roohd Fourth Round 



A (a bye) A | B 

B (a bye) B J 1 E 

C(abye) C\ J 

»i _■* — ~ E ' 

Ej 

F (a bye) F | c ~ 

,G(abye) G) 

■I (a bye). I J 



H(abye) Hv 

•H . 



With 10, 3 byes at the top, and S byes at 
the bottom. 

With 11, 2 byes at the top, and 3 byes at 
the bottom. 

With 12, 2 byes at the top, and 2 byes at 
the bottom. 

With 13, 1 bye at the top, and 2 byes at the 
bottom. 

With 14, 1 bye at the top and 1 bye at the 
bottom. 

With 15, 1 bye at the bottom. 

With 16, no byes. 



206 



LAWN TENNIS. 



Series 3. 

From 17 to 32 competitors. 

With 17, 7 byes at the top, and 8 byes at the 
bottom, thus : 



Frasrt \Seconi» 
Round) 'Round 

**». . * 

A (a bye) h;. AV 

ttfrbyej^j" 

£(abye|wC 

|)(a-byefeDj 

!F(abye)V..?Fh 
G (a bye)|«. G 

H |L_ — HJ 

l|abyejV. i; J 
K (abye) 



fc.„Kl 

I" 



!L(abye)i...L 
M (abye)-.,..M 

...0) 



N(ab7e) i ....N' 
0(abyey>,..0 
P(abye]>>...P 



^ (a bye) 






I'TtpRD-' 

ROUND 



•A 
D 



■K j 

■II, ! 

■JO 

-Q 



Fownt 

Round 



;0\ 

: 



K\ 



FlFTH 

iEOUSB 



i -in _ .. « i. £) 



With 18, 7 byes at the top, and 7 byes at the 
bottom. 

With 19, 6 byes at the top, and 7 byes at the 
bottom. 



PRIZE-MEETING REGULATIONS. 207 

With 20, 6 byes at the top, and 6 byes at the 
bottom. 

With 21, 5 byes at the top, and 6 byes at the 
bottom. 

With 22, 5 byes at the top, and 5 byes at the 
bottom. 

With 23, 4 byes at the top, and 5 byes at the 
bottom. 

With 24, 4 byes at the top, and 4 byes at the 
bottom. 

With 25, 3 byes at the top, and 4 byes at the 
bottom. 

With 26, 3 byes at the top, and 3 byes at the 
bottom. 

With 27, 2 byes at the top, and 3 byes at the 
bottom. 

With 28, 2 byes at the top and 2 byes at the 
bottom. 

With 29, 1 bye at the top, and 2 byes at the 
bottom. 

With 30, 1 bye at the top, and 1 bye at the 
bottom. 

With 31, 1 bye at the bottom. 

With 32, no byes. 



2o8 LAWN TENNIS. 

and so on, with larger numbers, in like manner. 

19. If a competitor be absent when called on 
to play, or shall refuse to play, or shall have 
given previous notice to the referee, or member of 
the committee that he cannot play in his next 
round, his adversary shall win in that round. 

20. In handicap matches the competitors shall 
be handicapped by the committee, or by a handi- 
capper appointed by the committee. 

21. Where the system of handicapping by 
sixths is used, the authorized tables of differ- 
ential odds shall not be in any way altered or de- 
parted from, and unless any other principle of 
handicapping be adopted, the handicap shall be 
by classes, as below : — 



Class 





scratch. 


u 


1 


receives one-sixth of 15. 


ii 


2 


" two-sixths of 15. 


a 


3 


" three-sixths of 15. 


a 


4 


" four-sixths of 15. 


a 


5 


" five-sixths of 15. 


u 


6 


" 15. 


u 


7 


" 15 and one-sixth of 15. 



PRIZE-MEETING REGULATIONS. 209 



31a 


SS 8 < 


' 15 and two-sixths of 15. 




i 9 i 


1 15 and three-sixths of 15. 




< 10 * 


' 15 and four-sixths of 15. 




< 11 < 


' 15 and five-sixths of 15. 




4 12 < 


' 30. 




< 13 < 


' 30 and one-sixth of 15. 




< 14 * 


' 30 and two-sixths of 15. 




' 15 < 


' 30 and three-sixths of 15. 




' 16 < 


' 30 and four-sixths of 15. 




< 17 < 


' 30 and five-sixths of 15. 




< 18 < 


< 40. 



When two players in different classes below 
scratch meet, the superior player shall start, 
from scratch, and the odds received by the in- 
ferior player are as shown by the annexed table 
( No. I. ) . To use the table, find in the diagonal 
line of figures the number representing the class 
of the superior player, then travel along the cor- 
responding horizontal column until the vertical 
column is reached which bears at the top the 
number of the class of the inferior player. The 
odds specified at the intersection of the two 
columns are the odds required. 



2IO 



LAWN TENNIS. 



*■* z 

•Pag 

IP 

srll 

33 » 

S ^ 

- 2 -a 

&jl 

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O- °-Sc 

£ If S8 

fell 



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< <2-sa s 



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rn 


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o 


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ft, 


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ci 










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s-ls 


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s-s* si 
























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PRIZE-MEETING REGULATIONS. 211 



a. pj 

•i 



•3 s 

* 2 I 
9i 

W •£ S 

5 II 

* St 

I'll 

W •$ m 

u § 

11 
== "S 

« & 



0\ ■* 
00 >A 

IS jo 



111 



212 



LAWN TENNIS. 



Example. — If class 3 has to meet class 9, start 
from the figure 3 in the diagonal line of figures, 
and look horizontally until the vertical column is 
reached headed by the figure 9. The odds given 
at the point of intersection of the two columns 
(viz., 15 and one-sixth of 15) are the odds re- 
quired. 

When the 'difference between the best and 
worst players is great (say more than 30), it 
is desirable to handicap the best players at owed 
odds. The players above scratch (i.e., owing 
odds) should be classified as follows: — 



Class 1 owes one-sixth of 15. 


" 2 


'* two-sixths of 15. 


" 3 


'' three-sixths of 15. 


" 4 


' four-sixths of 15. 


" 5 


' five-sixths of 15. 


" 6 


' 15. 


" 7 


' 15 and one-sixth of 15. 


" 8 


' 15 and two-sixths of 15. 


" 9 


' 15 and three-sixths of 15. 


" 10 


' 15 and four-sixths of 15. 


" 11 


' 15 and five-sixths of 15. 



PRIZE-MEETING REGULATIONS. 21, 



Class 12 " 


30. 


" 13 ' 


< 30 and one-sixth of 15. 


« 14 < 


1 30 and two-sixths of 15. 


" 15 < 


1 30 and three-sixths of 15 


" 16 ' 


' 30 and four-sixths of 15. 


" IT < 


' 30 and five-sixths of 15. 


" 18 < 


' 40. 



When the two players in different classes above 
scratch meet, the inferior player shall start from 
scratch, and the odds owed by the superior player 
are as shown by the annexed table (No. II.). 

This table is to be used in the same way as the 
former, the class of the superior player being 1 
looked for in the horizontal line of figures at the 
top, and the class of the inferior player in the 
diagonal line of figures. 

Example.— -If class 12 (owe 30) meet class 7 
(owe 15 and one-sixth of 15), the former must 
owe the latter the odds of four-sixths of 15. 

22. In championship matches and handicap 
by classes, as above, advantage-sets shall be 
played throughout the ties. 

23. The committee may, whether appealed to 



2i 4 LAWN TENNIS. 

by any competitor or not, postpone the meeting 
or any match or part of a match if, in their opin- 
ion, the state of the weather or of the light, or 
condition of the ground, or other circumstances, 
render it advisable to do so. 



RECOMMENDATIONS. 215 



RECOMMENDATIONS. 

1. There should be, if possible, a clear margin 
of at least 12 feet on each side, and 21 feet at each 
end of the court; or, between adjacent courts, 18 
feet on each side ; but should the courts be placed 
end to end, or end to side, there should be spaces 
of 42 feet or 33 feet respectively and a stop net 
at least 8 feet high between. 

2. Should the referee be a competitor, a substi- 
tute should be appointed to act for him while he 
is playing. 

3. If two or more prizes be given, the loser in 
the final tie should receive the second prize, and 
where more than two prizes are given, the losers 
in the last tie but one should receive prizes of 
equal value. 

4. In important matches it is desirable to have 
seven line-umpires in addition to the scoring 



2i6 LAWN TENNIS. 

umpire — namely, one for each base-line, one for 
each service-line, one for the half-court-line, and 
one for each side-line. 

5. The circular issued by the committee should 
include the following particulars : 

(1) The date, hour, and place of meeting; 

(2) The events, entrance fees, and value of 

the prizes ; 

(3) The date, hour, and place of receiving 

and closing the entries; 

(4) The time and place of the draw; 

( 5 ) The maker's name of the balls to be used 

at the meeting ; 

(6) The shoes to be worn, if there be any 

restriction in this respect; 

(7) The number of sets to be played in the 

various matches, and whether advan- 
tage-sets or not, 

6. In handicap competitions the handicap 
should, if possible, be framed before the draw 
takes place. 



LAWS OF THE GAME. 217 



LAWS OF THE GAME. 



THE SINGLE-HANDED GAME. 

1. For the single-handed game the court is 27 
feet in width and 78 feet in length. It is divided 
across the middle by a. net, the ends of which are 
attached to the tops of two posts which stand 3 
feet outside the court on each side. The height 
of the net is 3 feet 6 inches at the posts and 3 feet 
at the centre. At each end of the court parallel 
with the net and at a distance of 39 feet from it, 
are drawn the 'base-lines, the extremities of 
which are connected by the side-lines. Half-way 
between the side-lines, and parallel with them, is 
drawn the half -court-line, dividing the space on 
each side of the net into two equal parts called 
the right and left courts. On each side of the 



2i8 LAWN TENNIS. 

net, at a distance of 21 feet from it and parallel 
with it, are drawn the service-lines. The mark- 
ing of the part of the lialf-court-line between the 
service-lines and the base-lines may be omitted, 
with the exception of a small portion at the cen- 
tre of each base-line, as indicated in the plans 
appended to these laws. 

2. The balls shall not be less than 2£ inches, 
nor more than 2 tf inches in diameter, and not 
less than 1 ounce, nor more than 2 ounces in 
weight. 

3. In matches where umpires are appointed, 
their decision shall be final ; but where a referee 
is appointed, an appeal shall lie to him from the 
decision of an umpire on a question of law. 

4. The choice of sides and the right to be server 
or striker-out during the first games shall be de - 
cided by toss ; provided that, if the winner of the 
toss choose the right to be server or striker-out, 
the other player shall have the choice of sides, 
and vice versa; and provided that the winner of 
the toss may, if he prefer it, require the other 
player to make the first choice. 

5. The players shall stand on opposite sides 



LAWS OF THE GAME. 219 

of the net ; the player who first delivers the ball 
shall be called the server, the other the striker- 
out. 

6. At the end of the first game the striker-out 
shall become server, and the server shall become 
striker-out; and so on alternately in the subse- 
quent games of the set. 

7. The server shall serve with both feet behind 
{i.e., further from the net than) the base-line, 
and within the limits of the imaginary continua- 
tion of the centre service and the side-lines. It 
is not a fault if one only of the server's feet do 
not touch the ground at the moment at which the 
service is delivered. He shall place both feet on 
the ground immediately before serving and shall 
not take a running or walking start. He shall 
deliver the service from the right and left courts 
alternately, beginning from the right in each of 
his service games, even though the odds be given 
or owed. 

8. The ball served must drop within the serv- 
ice-line, half-court-line, and side-line of the court 
which is diagonally opposite to that from which 
it was served, or upon any such line. 



220 LAWN TENNIS. 

9. It is a fault if the service be delivered from 
the wrong court, or if the server do not stand as 
directed in Law 7, or if the ball served drop in 
the net or beyond the service-line, or if it drop 
out of court or in the wrong court. If the server 
in attempting to serve miss the ball altogether, 
it does not count a fault, but if the ball be touched 
(no matter how slightly) by the racket, a service 
is thereby delivered and the laws governing the 
service at once apply. 

10. A fault may not be taken. 

11. After a fault the server shall serve again 
from the same court from which he served that 
fault, unless it was a fault because served from 
the wrong court. 

12. A fault may not be claimed after the next 
service has been delivered. 

13. The service may not be volleyed, i.e., taken 
before it touches the ground, even though the ball 
be clearly outside the service-court. 

14. The server shall not serve until the striker- 
out be ready. If the latter attempt to return the 
service but fail, he loses the stroke. If however 
the striker-out signify that he is not ready after 



LAWS OF THE GAME. 221 

the service has been delivered, but before the ball 
touch the ground, he may not claim a fault be- 
cause the ball ultimately drops outside the serv- 
ice-court. 

15. A ball is in play from the moment at which 
it is delivered in service (unless a fault) until it 
has been volleyed by the striker-out in his first 
stroke, or has dropped in the net or out of court, 
or has touched either of the players or anything 
that he wears or carries (except his racket in the 
act of striking), or has been struck by either of 
the players with his racket more than once con- 
secutively, or has been volleyed before it has 
passed over the net, or has failed to pass over the 
net before its first bound (except as provided in 
Law 17), or has touched the ground twice con- 
secutively on either side of the net, though the 
second time may be out of court. 

16. It is a "let" if the ball served touch the 
net, provided the service be otherwise good ; or if 
a service or fault be delivered when the striker- 
out is not ready. In case a player is obstructed by 
any accident not within his control the ball shall 
be considered a let; but where a permanent fix- 



222 LAWN TENNIS. 

ture of the court is the cause of the accident the 
point shall be counted — benches and chairs 
placed round the court and their occu- 
pants and the umpire and linesmen shall 
be considered permanent fixtures. If how- 
ever a ball in play strike a permanent fixture 
of the court (other than the net or posts) 
before it touches the ground the point is lost ; if 
after it has touched the ground, the point shall 
be counted. In case of a let, the service or stroke 
counts for nothing and the server shall serve 
again. A let does not annul a previous fault. 
17. It is a good return : 

(a) If a ball touch the net or post provided 
that it passes over either and drops 
into the court; 
(&) If a ball served or returned drop into 
the proper court and screw or be 
blown back over the net and the 
player whose turn it is to strike reach 
over the net and play the ball, pro- 
vided that neither he nor any part of 
his clothes or racket touch the net 
and that the stroke be otherwise good ; 



LAWS OF THE GAME. 223 

(c) If a ball be returned outside the post 

either above or below the level of the 
top of the net, even though it touch 
the post, provided that it drop into 
the proper court; 

(d) If a player's racket pass over the net 

after he has returned the ball, pro- 
vided the ball pass over the net before 
being played and be properly re- 
turned ; 

(e) If a player succeed in returning a ball, 

served or in play which strikes a ball 
lying in the court. 

18. The server wins a stroke if the striker-out 
volleyed a service, or failed to return the service 
or the ball in play (except in the case of a let), 
or return the service or ball in play so that it 
drop outside any of the lines which bound his 
opponent's court, or otherwise lose a stroke, as 
provided by Law 20. 

19. The striker-out wins a stroke if the server 
serve two consecutive faults, or fail to return the 
ball in play (except in the case of a let), or re- 
turn the ball in play so that it drop outside auy 



224 LAWN TENNIS. 

of the lines which bound his opponent's court, 
or otherwise lose a stroke, as provided by Law 20. 

20. Either player loses a stroke if the ball in 
play touch him or anything that he wears or car- 
ries, except his racket in the act of striking; or 
if he volley the ball (unless he thereby makes a 
good return) no matter whether he is standing 
within the limits of the court or outside them ; or 
if he touch or strike the ball in play with his 
racket more than once consecutively ; or if he or 
his racket (in his hand or otherwise) touch the 
net or any of its supports while the ball is in 
play ; or if he volley the ball before it has passed 
the net. 

21. On either player winning his first stroke, 
the score is called 15 for that player; on either 
player winning his second stroke, the score is 
called 30 for that player; on either player win- 
ning his third stroke the score is called 40 for 
that player ; and the fourth stroke won by either 
player is scored game for that player; except as 
below : 

If both players have won three strokes, the 
score is called deuce; and the next stroke 



LAWS OF THE GAME. 225 

won by either player is scored advantage for 
that player. If the same player win the next 
stroke, he wins the game ; if he lose the next 
stroke, the score is again called deuce; and 
so on until either player win the two strokes 
immediately following the score at deuce, 
when the game is scored to that player. 

22. The player who first wins six games wins 
a set ; except as below : 

If both players win five games, the score is 
called games all ; and the next game won by 
either player is scored advantage-game for 
that player. If the same player win the next 
game, he wins the set; if he lose the next 
game, the score is again called games all; 
and so on, until either player win the two 
games immediately following the score of 
games all, when he wins the set. 

Note. — Players may agree not to play advan- 
tage-sets but to decide the set by one game 
after arriving at the score of games all. 

23. The players shall change sides at the end 
of the first, third, and every subsequent alternate 
game of each set, and at the end of each set, un- 



226 LAWN TENNIS. 

less the number of games in such set be even. It 
shall, however, be open to the players by mutual 
consent and notification to the umpire before the 
opening of the second game of the match to 
change sides instead at the end of every set, until 
the odd and concluding set, in which they shall 
change sides at the end of the first, third, and 
every subsequent alternate game of such set, 

24. When a series of sets is played the player 
who was server in the last game of one set shall 
be striker-out in the first game of the next. 

ODDS. 

25. In the case of received odds : 

(a) One-sixth of 15 is one stroke given in 
every six games of a set in the posi- 
tion shown by the annexed table ; 

(&) Similarly, two-sixths, three-sixths, four- 
sixths, and five-sixths of 15 are re- 
spectively two, three, four, and five 
strokes given in every six games of a 
set in the position shown by the table : 



LAWS OF THE GAME. 



227 





First 
Game 


Second 
Game 


Third 

Game 


Fourth 
Game 


Fifth 
Game 


Sixth 
Game 


One-sixth of is' 





IS 


O 


O 


O 


O 


/Two-sixths of 15" . 


O 


15 


O 


IS 


O 


O 


Three-sixths of 15 % . 


O 


IS 


O 


is 


O 


IS 
IS 


Four-sixths of 15 . 


O 


IS 


O 


IS 


IS 


Five-sixths of 15 . . 


O 


is 


is 


is 


is 


IS 



Example. — A player receiving four-sixths of 15 receives 

nothing in the first and third games, and 15 in the second, 

fourth, fifth, and sixth games of a set. 
Note. — The table is not carried beyond the sixth game, as in 

the next and every succeeding six games the odds recur 

in the same positions. 

(c) The above odds may be given in aug- 

mentation of other receiving odds ; 

(d) Fifteen is one stroke given at the be- 

ginning of every game of a set; 

(e) Thirty is two strokes given at the be- 

ginning of every game of a set; 

(f) Forty is three strokes given at the be- 

ginning of every game of a set; 
26. In the case of owed odds : 

(a) One-sixth of 15 is one stroke owed in 



228 



LAWN TENNIS. 



every six games of a set in the posi- 
tion shown by the annexed table. 
(6) Similarly, two-sixths, three-sixths, four- 
sixths, and five-sixths of 15 are re- 
spectively two, three, four, and five 
strokes owed in every six games of a 
set in the position shown by the fol- 
lowing table : 





First 
Game 


Second 
Game 


Third 
Game 


Fourth 
Game 


Fifth 
Game 


Sixth 
Game 


One-sixth of 15 


15 


O 


O 


O 





O 


Two-sixths of 15 . 


IS 


O 


IS 





O 


O 


Three-sixths of 15 . 


15 





IS 


O 


IS 


O 


Fourth-sixths of 1^5 . 


»5 


O 


is 


O 


IS 


IS 


Five-sixths of 15 ,.j 


IS 


O 


15 


IS 


IS 


is 



Example. — A player owing two-sixths of 15 would owe 15 in 

the first and third games, and nothing in the second, fourth, 

fifth, and sixth games. 
Note. — The table is not carried beyond the sixth game, as in 

the next and every succeeding six games the odds recur in 

the same positions. 

(c) The above odds may be owed in augmen- 
tation of other owed odds ; 



LAWS OF THE GAME. 229 

(d) Fifteen is one stroke owed at the be- 

ginning of every game of a set ; 

(e) Thirty is two strokes owed at the be- 

ginning of every game of a set ; 

(f) Forty is three strokes owed at the be- 

ginning of every game of a set. 



THE THREE-HANDED AND FOUR- 
HANDED GAMES. 

27. The above laws shall apply to the three- 
handed and four-handed games except as below : 

28. For the three-handed and four-handed 
games, the court is 36 feet in width. Within the 
side-lines at a distance of 4| feet from them and 
parallel with them, are drawn the service-side 
lines. In other respects the court is similar to 
that which is described in Law 1. 

29. In the three-handed game the single player 
shall serve in every alternate game. 

30. In the four-handed game the pair who have 
the right to serve in the first game may decide 
which partner shall do so, and the opposing pair 
may decide similarly for the second game. The 
partner of the player who served in the first 



2 3 o LAWN TENNIS. 

game shall serve in the third ; and the partner of 
the player who served in the second game shall 
serve in the fourth, and so on in the same order 
in all the subsequent games of a set. 

31. The players shall take the service alter- 
nately throughout each game, no player shall re- 
ceive or return a service delivered to his partner, 
and the order of service and of striking-out, once 
arranged, shall not be altered nor shall the 
striker-out change courts to receive the service, 
before the end of the set. 

32. The ball served must drop within the serv- 
ice-line half-court-line, and service side-line of 
the court, which is diagonally opposite to that 
from which it was served, or upon any such line. 

33. It is a fault if the ball do not drop as pro- 
vided in Law 32, or if it touch the server's part- 
ner, or anything that he wears or carries. If, 
however, the ball in service strike either the 
striker-out or his partner, the server wins the 
stroke. 

34. If a player serve out of his turn, the um- 
pire, as soon as the mistake is discovered by him- 
self or by one of the players, shall direct the 



LAWS OF THE GAME. 



231 



player to serve who ought to have served; but 
all strokes scored, and any fault served before 
such discovery shall be reckoned. If a game 
shall have been completed before such discovery, 







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then the service in the next alternate game shall 
be delivered by the partner of the player who 
served out of his turn ; and so on in regular rota- 
tion. 



232 LAWN TENNIS. 

KNOTTY POINTS. 

ADDENDA TO THE LAWS OF THE GAME. 

Revised and approved by the Council of the 
Latcn Tennis Association. 

1. If a player throws his racket at the ball and 
so returns the ball into the proper court, he loses 
the stroke. 

2. If a player catches the ball on his racket, 
walks with it to the net, and, reaching over, 
drops it into court, he loses the stroke, as such 
a proceeding cannot be denned as an "act of 
striking" (vide Law 15). 

3. If a player, to avoid touching the net, jumps 
over it while the ball is in play, he loses the 
stroke. 

4. If an umpire erroneously calls "fault," and 
at once corrects himself and cries "play," and 
the striker-out fails to return the ball, a "let" 
must be allowed. 

5. If in a Double grame the server's service 



LAWS OF THE GAME. 233 

strikes either of his opponents, he wins the 
stroke. 

6. If a match is postponed on account of rain 
or darkness coming on or for any similar reason, 
and is continued on the subsequent day, the 
match shall be resumed from the point where it 
was discontinued on the previous day. An en- 
tirely new commencement may only be made 
with the consent of the referee. 

7. If two players in a handicap play at the 
wrong odds, the match stands, unless they have 
been wrongly instructed by the referee, or any 
person or persons acting under his instructions, 
in which case the loser may claim to have the 
match replayed, unless the mistake in the odds 
has been in his favor. Such claim must be made 
within a reasonable time. 

8. A similar decision must be given if two 
players neglect to play advantage-sets when one 
of the conditions of the event in which they are 
competing is that advantage-sets should be 
played. 



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CATALOGUES ON APPLICATION FROM 

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COPT 

All England Club 

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10th July, 1903. 

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By NIBLICK 

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